To Be With You Tomorrow
by Tessenchan
Summary: [DISCONTINUED] After the death of Naraku the Inugumi resume the search for Shikon shards, but a youkai miko seeks the jewel for her own evil gain. InuKag, some MirSan. Rated M for language.
1. A Hanyou's Thoughts

Hey minna~! Tessen here~ Welcome to my first ficcie, revised a little. I noticed a huge discrepancy in the timeline and decided to give 2bwu a makeover. (2.5.04)  
  
You see, I originally set the storyline of 2bwu in volume 30 of the manga, after Miroku proposes to Sango. However I was making reference to events that happened after this, the main one being Kagome healing Kikyou in the pool. As much as I want to include that, it takes place in volume 31, long after where I said I'd begun at.  
  
The story still begins there, but because of that, the gumi at this point still believe Kikyou is dead. (from volume 29; episode 124 of the anime) Okie? All other changes are just spelling errors and such. The only main overhaul is in the first 6 or 7 chapters. ^-^ To all newcomers, I hope you enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: ::pulls out standard disclaimer and pastes it messily on fic:: There, happy now?  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part One:: Aftermath of Naraku  
  
Chapter One :: A Hanyou's Thoughts  
  
"I have a test to study for in school, Inuyasha, I'll be back in a few days!"  
  
That was what Kagome had said three days ago. The black-haired hanyou --as he had been human at the time-- had watched her disappear down the well with great contempt for her leaving, but like the loyal pup he was he settled in a nearby tree to await her return, or to follow if she did not return within... well, whatever time he could stand being away from her.   
  
Typically, that was three days.   
  
Actually, that was just the time limit he could get away with only about 200+ sits. If he went sooner, like he wanted to, she'd never stop sitting him, even though something told him that she had never been sat before and obviously had no idea how much it hurt, so she yelled incantations to her heart's delight and took relish in the sprawled-out, spread-eagle patterns he could make by face-planting into the ground.   
  
He really didn't feel like being sat at ALL, so he simply had to be patient, even if inside he was screeching for her return. And her three days were up, and he was about ready to go back and drag her back.  
  
Well, maybe not drag her back immediately, as there was no real hurry to find the shards anymore, except his own impatience. After all, they had defeated Naraku, and the Shikon no Tama was almost complete. They only had a few shards left before it would be whole, and Inuyasha was just itching to use it.  
  
*Although,* he thought to himself, *I dunno what it is I want anymore...*  
  
At one time --most of his life, actually-- he'd wanted to use the jewel to become a full youkai, and not just some worthless half-breed. But then, the times his youkai blood had taken control of him, to rescue him from what he perceived to be certain death-- that proved to Inuyasha that Miroku had been right.  
  
Miroku had preached to him enough that if he used the jewel to become a full demon, things would not turn out the way Inuyasha wanted. And his youkai transformations were like sneak previews to what awaited him if he wished for it on the Shikon no Tama.   
  
When he killed Gatenmaru, he realized something the others had already known and kept from him: with every transformation, it erased more of Inuyasha. When he made that desperate transformation, he wasn't Inuyasha anymore; he was a monster, even if he hated that word for it. Just associating the word 'monster' with him made his skin crawl. And when he was in that form, he lost a bit of himself.  
  
His one salvation, the one lifeline that kept him from losing all grip on his sanity, was Kagome. He would have wallowed in self-hatred --in his own way of course-- for a lot longer than he did had it not been for Kagome. She had been at his side, as she had always been there, taking care of him.  
  
He remembered it so very well, that day, when she knelt next to him, put her arms around his shoulders and whispered in his ear, "I understand." He didn't know if she knew how much that healed him, right there. And he quickly came to the conclusion that the power he wielded as a youkai wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted was to be with Kagome.  
  
It was possible now, too. Kikyou was dead. Killed a second time by that hateful Naraku, Kikyou's soul, whatever was left of it, was free, no longer trapped between worlds. She no longer walked the world. Inuyasha too was free, free to love who he wanted.  
  
His heart, once Kikyou's alone, had split between the dead miko and her reincarnation, and as even more time passed, it now completely belonged to Kagome. He wanted to be with Kagome. He wanted to stay by her side forever, and whatever methods he would have used to obtain it with Kikyou, he would try 100x as hard to be with Kagome. He knew that now. And how he had come to that conclusion, not surprisingly, had been in the battle against Naraku.   
  
Inuyasha could remember it as clearly as daylight, how Naraku killed Kagome...  
  
*KAGOME~~!!!*  
  
*Kagome-sama!!!*  
  
Inuyasha quickly shook himself from that memory. He didn't want to remember that. Not again, anyway. He saw it every night in his dreams, how the shot that had been meant for Inuyasha, took his Kagome instead. She was saving him.  
  
Even as he struggled to force it from his thoughts, bits and pieces of that day still echoed in his mind. Like the smell. The smell of Kagome's blood on his hands, his clothes, when he caught her. Her voice as she spoke her last words to him. The silence as her heart stopped beating had been deafening.  
  
*No, dammit!* Inuyasha pounded the side of the branches in frustration. Dammit, it still hurt. Even though she was with him. Even though she was alive and she was with him, it still hurt. Those images would never leave his mind, and he hated it with his whole being.  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
~*~  
  
"Where's Inuyasha??" Sango asked brightly, and Miroku waved a hand lazily in the general direction of the Bone-Eating Well. Shippou sighed. "He's just like that, Sango. He always waits for Kagome to come back. You know that."  
  
Sango sighed. "I know, but it just seems that it's... more poignant now, than it ever was before, that he stays there. It seems almost like he doesn't believe that she'll come back, that the last week wasn't..." She paused as she struggled for a word to fit what she meant.  
  
"Real." Miroku finished and Sango nodded. "Yes, real. Like he thinks Kagome-chan is still..."  
  
Miroku nodded. "I know."  
  
They all knew about it. They had been together when it happened, after all. It had been the final battle against Naraku. All of them, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippou, Miroku and Sango, had a stake in the battle. All of them had a reason to fight, and all of them had been willing to die.  
  
But when faced with the death of the purest of them… when they saw their comrade fall; it seemed minimized. Nothing was worth losing each other.  
  
It had happened so fast, when Naraku, seemingly on his last legs, went to kill Inuyasha. All Miroku could remember was hearing Kagome yell Inuyasha's name, and then seeing was a blur of green and white and black silk hair, and then-- red.  
  
When the light died down and Sango opened her eyes, she gasped at what she saw. Inuyasha, kneeling on the ground, propping himself up on Tessaiga, and Naraku staring in shock, surprise or something of the like. And Kagome-chan, standing between them, her arms spread out defensively in front of Inuyasha, the ground underneath her soaked through with more blood than Sango had seen in her life...  
  
Shippou could still remember the scent of burned flesh and hair, and it scared him. Kagome's blood was everywhere. It was something a child should never have seen, should never have had to see, but then he hadn't had to. He could smell it.  
  
She had turned ever so slightly, a faint smile on her lips. *Are you okay?* That's what she'd asked him as she fell backwards, landing on his lap as her body began to shut down.  
  
Sango had heard Inuyasha speak in a tone he had never used before, pain and heartache and fear. Fear of losing Kagome. Fear of being alone.  
  
*......Y-you idiot!! Why.... why did you...*  
  
Kagome had laughed. She had smiled confidently as she reached up and touched his cheek. *It's okay...As long as you're alive... I don't mind... I just... couldn't let him... kill you......*   
  
And then her last breath left her, and her eyes shut for the last time. And she had died without him. It brought tears to Sango's eyes thinking about it. *It'll be okay... those two'll bounce back. They're still together. We all are.*  
  
"We'll be okay."  
  
~*~  
  
*....................................*  
  
*The sword that your oyaji-dono gave you, the Tessaiga, has the power to kill 100 demons in a single swing. The sword that was given to your brother however, the Tenseiga, has the power to save 100 people in a single swing. It's a sword of life.*  
  
"Sesshoumaru!!" Inuyasha leapt to his feet and gripped his brother's kimono in his hands. "Sesshoumaru.. the Tenseiga, please... Please use it to bring back Kagome!!"  
  
Sesshoumaru glared at his younger brother and deftly knocked him away. "Why should I do anything for you? It was your own weakness that got that stupid girl killed. It was your inability to protect her, Inuyasha. Why should I help you?"  
  
Inuyasha forced himself up and ran around to face his brother, who was turning to leave. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in irritation. "Get out of my way, you're being foolish. Weeping over a stupid human woman."  
  
Inuyasha hit his knees.  
  
If Sesshoumaru was taken aback, it didn't show; he had no expression, as always, but his amber eyes did widen a bit. Inuyasha's claws dug into the dirt and his voice shook immeasurably. "Please. I'm begging you Sesshoumaru... Please do this one thing for me... I don't want anything from you, I've never wanted anything from you... Just... please, this once...... save Kagome for me...."  
  
Sesshoumaru stared at the form of his brother, kneeling prostrate on the ground, his dirtied, bloodied white hair hiding his face from view, but Sesshoumaru could imagine it. With a sneer of disgust he stepped away from Inuyasha and began to walk away. Inuyasha let out a soft noise of grief, of defeat, but Sesshoumaru didn't look back. He kept walking ahead--  
  
--and saw Rin appear before him. He had left her and Jaken on Ah-Un, a little ways away, and he suspected she had seen the whole thing. She looked up at him angrily. It was the first time she'd ever looked at him with anything but adoration.  
  
Stomp! went Rin's little foot. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you're cruel!! You can save her!! You saved Rin before!! Rin wants you to save that lady!!"  
  
"Rin, get out of my way."  
  
"NO!" Rin's little face crinkled and tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. "Not until you save that lady! Rin won't move!!"  
  
Sesshoumaru stood over her, trying to make her understand, but Rin stood firm. It would be nothing to step around her, she was so small… But the demon lord could not bring himself to do such a thing. Her bottom lip quivered, and her tiny body trembled all over, but she would not move. She had to make HIM understand. He would understand.  
  
Sesshoumaru felt a tingling at his side as Tenseiga shook. The demon had no expression as he sighed softly, almost exasperatingly, and turned back.  
  
Unsheathing Tenseiga, Sesshoumaru stood over Kagome's corpse and closed his eyes. After a moment he opened them. *I can see them. The attendants of the underworld, coming to take this stupid--  
  
--selfless--  
  
--human girl whom my ignorant, honorless little brother has chosen as a mate.*  
  
One quick slash, and the pallbearers disappeared. Kagome's numerous open wounds and burns disappeared. Sesshoumaru resheathed his blade and turned, walking past Rin without a sound. The little girl shot a hopeful smile at the battered group before turning and darting after her guardian.   
  
Inuyasha crouched over Kagome expectantly, his entire body shaking from exhaustion, and the unbearable apprehension. His entire world seemed to teeter on this moment, when he could know she was okay. One hand reached out to brush the dirt from her pale cheek. *Please... please...*  
  
Kagome coughed suddenly, one hand coming to cover her mouth. Weak brown eyes opened and the soft lips moved in a voiceless murmur. Inu...yasha…  
  
Time seemed to stop, and--  
  
--Inuyasha shook himself awake.  
  
His heart pounded, a triphammer in his chest. He sighed, willing his nerves to calm. He rubbed over his face, cursing silently when he found damp wetness there. Crying in his sleep. He leaned back against the tree, his eyes getting used the hazy orangeness that was dusk. It had been a few hours. *I slept longer than I thought...*  
  
The dream.   
  
He'd had it again. He hated those dreams. It was like reliving it, over and over in his mind. His dreams were so vivid, and sometimes he woke up thinking he was still there, her blood on his hands. The scent of it linger in his sensitive nose, never fading.  
  
It wasn't a matter of which part he saw in his sleep, but he always awoke in a fright, certain he was there. Sometimes it was Naraku killing her all over again and sometimes it was Sesshoumaru bringing her back. More often than not the tears he had shed when she died followed him in his dreams, and even to his waking hours. He had awoken with tears in his eyes more than once in the past week.   
  
He would much rather forget the whole thing happened. The emotions he had been feeling then-- he had been so confused and in so much pain. Losing Kagome was one of his worst fears, and it had come true.   
  
That night when they returned to Kaede-babaa's village to nurse their wounds, he refused to leave her side. She hadn't been angry; instead she was light-hearted and cheery. She knew what the battle had cost all of them, and she knew what her death had done to Inuyasha.   
  
At least to a degree.   
  
She didn't know his true feelings. She didn't know that Kikyou no longer held the place she had once had in his heart; she didn't know that he wanted to stay with her, to make her his mate and protect her and love her forever.  
  
But as a human, Kagome's forever was much shorter than Inuyasha's. And in a short time, on his scale, Kagome would grow old and die without him again, and he would be alone again. That thought alone made him want to use the jewel to become human no matter what, so he could be with his Kagome.   
  
But he wanted to protect her too. And just thinking about his monthly digressions to human form and the weakness that came with it made him want to retch. How the hell could he protect Kagome in a body like that?  
  
And then there was the tiny problem of confessing his feelings to the teenager to begin with. It had been nearly a week and a half since the final battle with Naraku and she STILL didn't know how he really felt; for all he knew, she probably thought he still loved Kikyou, and that thought made his chest hurt.   
  
The thought that at this moment Kagome may be crying and upset, thinking he had chosen Kikyou over her-- that made him want to fly right down the well, grab her and tell her right then and there, but he knew that the moment he saw her face he would stall, as he was prouder than anyone on the planet, and while no one else seemed to notice, he was hella shy.   
  
And nothing made him want to gag more than the mental image of him fidgeting like a little kid, blushing enough to match the shade of his hi-nezumi haori, with Kagome staring at him like he was an idiot.  
  
Except maybe turning human every new moon.  
  
*How the hell did I get into this mess???* the hanyou wondered, shaking his head. He leaned back against the tree and sighed, looking at the clouds that covered the setting sun.  
  
"I don't like doing this much thinking, it hurts my head. I wish Kagome was here. I think less when she's here... And I'm so damned lonely when she's not around."  
  
"Then, why don't you stay awhile with her?"  
  
Inuyasha jumped so high that he practically fell out of the tree, and glared down at the sukebe bouzu who was standing underneath the branches, looking surprised. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU BASTARD?!" As an afterthought he asked, "Whaddaya mean?"  
  
The houshi looked up at the hanyou unblinkingly. "Go stay with Kagome-sama for awhile. You said it yourself that you're lonely without her."  
  
Inuyasha, trying not to blush, mumbled, "I said that out loud, huh?" Miroku grinned up at him. "A little. Actually you've been mumbling to yourself for the past hour or so. Not to mention everytime someone tries to talk to you, you try to kill them. You've been on edge since she left."  
  
"I do NOT try to kill people when they talk to me! I'm a wonderful people person!"  
  
"In your own demented imagination, maybe." the monk laughed and then looked up at the demi-inuyoukai. "Inuyasha, no one would think any less of you if you succumbed to your emotion once in a while. Everyone knows what happened, we were all there." His voice lowered. "We all understand how you feel about it as well."  
  
Inuyasha sombered, looking away as Miroku continued. "Go to her. With Naraku gone, it's not as if the demons that still remain aren't enough for Sango and I. Even without my kazaana, I'm still a monk with exceptionally wonderful houriki."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the obvious boast, and sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll go. But only because you made me." Which of course was just his pride talking. He'd thought several times about going to stay with Kagome-- after all, what could stop him? She stayed with him all the time, and her world, while it was weird, was interesting.   
  
Like the last time, when he saw the little men in the box. And then there was an even smaller box you used to make the people in the big box change and do different things. It was weird, but really cool. Souta called it a 'terebi', which meant nothing to Inuyasha except 'people in box.'  
  
He leapt from the tree and headed over to the well, looking down into it. Empty, as always. With a soft "hup" he vaulted the side and fell through time.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	2. Kagome's Overly Jealous, Violently Posse...

a/n :: Chapter two revised (2.5.04)  
  
Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha, Rei, Tasuki, Thats, and a bottle of Sprite. Actually I'm lying. All I have ish the bottle of Sprite. So don't sue me, I spent a good $1.99 on that bottle of Sprite, IT'S MINE~!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part One :: Aftermath of Naraku  
  
Chapter Two :: Kagome's Overly Jealous, Violently Possessive, Two-Timing Boyfriend  
  
Inuyasha walked from the wellhouse towards Kagome's home, effortlessly leaping from the ground to the tree by her window. Opening the window with a deft twist of his wrist he moved across from the branch to the windowsill--  
  
--and pouted. "She's not here."  
  
The emptiness of the room seemed to gape at him, and his mouth drew into a tight frown as he landed on the floor in a crouch. Over the years that she had lived in this house, her familiar, beloved scent had seeped into every nook and cranny of this one place, and when he entered it, the perky aroma always seemed to waft out to embrace him.   
  
Calm and peaceful, he curled up in the corner by her bookcase, folding his arms. *I'll just wait until she comes back...*  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome sighed in aggravation. "Eri, tell me again, WHY did I let myself get talked into this??" At the look on Kagome's face, Eri laughed. "Awh, c'mon, Kagome, it is that bad??"  
  
Kagome looked at the seven grade-school kids she had in tow behind her. "Yes, it is!! Watching a party of my little brother's friends so they can have Babies' Day Out totally throws my life outta whack!"  
  
"Well at least you mother said you could have some of your friends with you to keep you company, ne?" Yuka asked and Houjou agreed. Kagome discreetly gave Houjou a disgusted glance. *Houjou-kun is like a six year old himself~~ Why are you agreeing, you were playing WITH them~~~!*  
  
On the insisting of Souta, Ms. Higurashi had agreed that he could have a party of friends to sleep over for the weekend, and she had laid out a budget for them: four hours at the arcades and dinner at a fast food place. The only thing was, at the last moment Ms Higurashi and Kagome's jii-chan were called to shrine business--  
  
--leaving Kagome to take care of the kids.  
  
However, Mama was a generous woman --how could she not be; she let her daughter skip school ever-constantly to travel back in time 500 years and fight demons-- and she said that Kagome could have some friends over as well, to help watch the kids. Kagome called over Eri, Yuka and Ayumi, and when they had met at the arcade, they had met up with Houjou-kun, who was also invited --by Eri, Yuka and Arisa-- to hang out.  
  
Kagome, as usual, had been pushed into hanging out with the bullheaded student who never gave up on her, even when she told him it was alright to. He had been at her side all day, even though she was giving 'stay away' signs. She thought she was, anyway.  
  
But then, they never worked on Inuyasha, so maybe she had to work on her signs...?  
  
*Just yesterday he asked me AGAIN~ Seeing as how I've now stood him up twice, escaped the date halfway through three times and not answered him at all five times, you'd think he'd get the picture, but apparently--*  
  
"Ne, Kagome."   
  
Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by Eri, and as if on cue, the other leaned over and asked, "Now would be the PERFECT time to take Houjou-kun up on that date, ne?"  
  
Kagome actually had to restrain herself from face-vaulting to the floor. They were on the Higurashi shrine steps, so that would've hurt especially. "N-n-n-n-n-n-nnaaa~~~ni~~~??? I-I can't do that~~!!!" Kagome wailed and Yuka shrugged. "Why not? You still haven't answered him, right?"  
  
"Cause she's still going out with that overly jealous, violently possessive, two-timing guy..." Ayumi said with a roll of her eyes and Yuka gasped. "Kagome, are you really...?!!"  
  
Not knowing what else to say, Kagome said defensively, "Well, yeah..." Eri sighed, taking Kagome's hands in her own. "Kagome, listen to me, he's really not good for you. You need someone kind and gentle and caring and sweet. Like Houjou-kun. Not like your--"  
  
"INUYASHA~!!!"   
  
Everyone --Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, Houjou, Souta and the other six brats-- all leaped purely out of shock at hearing Kagome's voice at that decibel.  
  
Kagome on the other hand was absolutely shocked at seeing the hanyou standing on her lawn. And said hanyou was startled out of his wits at hearing her squeal like that.  
  
Actually Inuyasha himself didn't look all that surprising. He had a baseball cap, turned around backwards, on his head, hiding his dog ears. And his haori and hakama blended perfectly with the shrine backdrop, as long at you didn't mention it was made from a demon called a hi-nezumi, else people would wonder. But it was just that he was THERE that surprised her.  
  
For once --without notice of his fangs, claws, and dog ears-- Inuyasha looked like a normal teenage boy. And after the hectic day Kagome had had, she was happy to see him.  
  
"Inuyasha~~!!" She ran at him, throwing her arms around his ribs. His feelings for the young miko exposed, Inuyasha was surprised and a little embarrassed, and his face told everyone so with the beet red color he knew he was turning. Regardless, he was secretly delighted. Just seeing her made him feel better. "Oi, Kagome! Don't hug me like that, I can't breathe!"  
  
She loosened her hold but remained stuck to him, looking up into his face. "Gomen. Why are you here?" she asked and he grimaced. "Is that the kinda welcome I get? Happy as hell to see me and then suddenly why the hell are you here? Can't I just come and see you?"  
  
Kagome blinked a bit at that. "You came to see me?"  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
Kagome turned, and gawked. Everyone, even though they had vanished from her thoughts the moment she saw Inuyasha, they had NOT --much to Kagome's shock and displeasure-- disappeared from reality.  
  
All of them, including poor clueless Houjou-kun, were staring. The girls looked tentative, and all three of them were blushing. Souta was the only one who reacted. He ran up, grasping Inuyasha's sleeve. "Inuyasha-niichan!!"  
  
The hanyou grinned and rubbed Souta's black hair affectionately. "Hey Souta-gaki."  
  
Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha, these are my friends, Eri, Yuka, Ayumi and Houjou-kun. Minna, this is Inuyasha."  
  
They all looked at Inuyasha, who was silently cursing Houjou to hell. Not that the junior high school student knew it, but the hanyou from the other world already did not have a good first impression of him.   
  
Strike one was that Houjou was a guy to begin with. Subconsciously Inuyasha was wondering, *Why the HELL is some MALE hanging out with my Kagome?*  
  
Strike two was Kagome's 'Houjou-kun.' *Wait,* Subconscious-Inu said, *You mean the SAME '-kun' she uses talking about that wimpy wolf Kouga??*  
  
Snarl.  
  
He felt Kagome's squeeze on his hand and he glanced down at her. She gestured to the group and quickly Inuyasha realized that he had yet to speak, and Kagome had already properly introduced him.   
  
Not that Inuyasha was proper or polite, but it hadn't helped Kagome's image for him to look like a idiot in front of her company. And the simple thought of maybe embarrassing Kagome was enough to get Inuyasha's rear in gear, but then he found himself in another rut.  
  
Because all at once he felt the dagger-like stare of the four other teens' eyes and quickly his envy at Kagome being around another male was replaced by sheer, unleashed nervousness. He felt his ears press against his head, unnoticed by the group of course thanks to the cap Ms Higurashi had given him, but it was a reaction he'd had ever since he was a child, compounded by a dog-like whimper, which he managed to hold back.   
  
Gods, he hated being stared at.  
  
Kagome apparently noticed how nervous he got, because she gave his hand a light squeeze before saying to the others, "Sorry, he's a little shy."  
  
"Uhm, hey..." Inuyasha mumbled with genuinely nervous grin, to which every girl turned bright red and spun around, not facing him, which only confused the poor hanyou. Kagome gave him an encouraging smile, which helped more than she thought it would. He found his voice again and babbled the first thing he could think of.  
  
"So uhm, you guys go to... school... with Kagome?"  
  
Kagome was shocked he had even remembered the word, and Ayumi nodded, her face a slight shade of pink. "Uhm, yeah we do.. we're in the same class."  
  
Dead end, he grumbled to himself. Inuyasha had no idea what 'class' was, so he changed the subject. "Yeah… Kagome's always complaining about tests..."  
  
"Don't you?" Eri intoned, agreeing with Ayumi, and he nodded. "I hate 'em! I don't understand half of the spells in those books of yours."  
  
All of Kagome's thought processes screeched to a halt and to cover it up she laughed loudly. "Spells, spells. Spelling! Inuyasha can't spell. Ha ha, Inuyasha here hates tests, it's a surprise we're still together, seeing as how I love to go to school and he would drop out if his mother would let him!"  
  
The girls let it pass and Yuka changed the subject. "What grade are you in?" Inuyasha's mouth hung open a bit, at a loss. Helplessly he glanced at Kagome and she mouthed the words 'second year' at him. He blinked and looked back at them. "Second year."  
  
"In high school!?!" Ayumi, Eri and Yuka demanded and vaguely Inuyasha nodded, not really knowing what 'high school' was either, but he figured it was a good thing if they sounded that pleased. And then Kagome disappeared.  
  
She had been yanked aside by her friends and the three other girls now huddled around Kagome, their faces demanding, even though all of them were blushing quite badly. "Kagome-chan!~!"   
  
"Na-nani yo?!!" Kagome demanded aggravatedly, and Eri gaped at her. "THAT's him?! That adorable..."  
  
"...gorgeous..." added Yuka,  
  
"...sweet-looking..." supplied Ayumi, and Eri took over again. "...downright hunky HIGH SCHOOLER is your overly jealous..."  
  
"...violently possessive..." continued Yuka,  
  
"...two timing boyfriend~!?!" Ayumi finished.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Of COURSE he is. I don't know that many boys who are in high school, you know." Yuka gasped. "How in the world did you snag him, Kagome!?!"  
  
*Actually he was asleep, bound to the Goshinboku by a sacred arrow through his heart and I woke him up...* Kagome thought with an almost evil snicker. She wondered what her friends would say if she told them that, but then made up a quick lie. "Oh, well, he's from a shrine family too, and we met one time when my mother brought me on business with her and Jii-chan."  
  
"That explains his clothes, anyway..." Ayumi murmured, and Yuka sighed. "He's so traditional!"   
  
"He's so handsome!" Eri murmured, and the other two sighed deeply in agreement. Kagome stared. *Lord, they're acting as if they just saw a movie star or something...*  
  
Somehow the thought that her three friends had the hots for the guy she was in love with didn't sit well with the teenager and she marched over to Inuyasha and snagged his arm. "Let's go in, okay?"  
  
Confused but not at all upset that she was hanging on him, the hanyou nodded. "Uhm, yeah."  
  
Souta's munchkin gang had already invaded the house and the quartet of teens followed suit. Inuyasha sniffed the air curiously, catching a scent he hadn't smelled in awhile. Then he grinned. "Hey, ramen!!"  
  
From the kitchen, Ms Higurashi smiled. "Yes, it's for you, Inuyasha. Ah, I see you met up with Kagome-chan."  
  
"Yeah she was outside." The hanyou took off with his ramen and Kagome leaned forward to her mother. "Thanks for giving him that hat, Mama." she whispered and the older woman smiled. "Not a problem at all. I found him asleep in your room when I returned from business with your grandfather. I think he'd been here for awhile, waiting for you."  
  
Kagome gasped, turning to look at the demi-inuyoukai, who was busily munching away at the cup ramen her mother had provided. Ayumi, Eri and Yuka were watching him almost as though he were doing something worthy of a Nobel Prize, and Kagome felt her envy flare.  
  
It was bad enough the one woman who actually flirted with him before HAD his attention--even if she WAS dead-- but now being able to have more options at his disposal pissed Kagome off and she stomped in, flopping down violently next to him and clasping his arm. Inuyasha glanced down at her. "Oi, Kagome, I can't eat with you attached to me like that."  
  
"Deal with it."  
  
For another hour the group stayed at Kagome's house. Quite possibly the biggest event of the night was when Souta declared that he, the great Higurashi Souta, was MUCH stronger than Inuyasha no niichan. Inuyasha, taking it as a challenge, promptly stood and grabbed Souta's ankles, flipping the boy over and hanging him upside in mid-air.  
  
After that of course, every boy in Souta's munchkin parade wanted to be hung upside down-- they, like Souta had taken a great liking to the dog hanyou. And then a huge wrestling match broke out between seven 2nd graders and a half-demon. Needless to say, it was all the boys could do to stay ON Inuyasha, never mind hold him down. He picked them off the same way he picked off old Myouga nomi-jiichan.  
  
It was 8 pm when Houjou and the girls decided it was time to go.  
  
Houjou, clueless as always and having missed the fact that Kagome had spent most of her time with Inuyasha, looked over at Kagome. "Hey, Higurashi-san, what do you say about my offer for Sunday?"  
  
The girl fidgeted nervously underneath his gaze. "Uhm.."  
  
Yuka, Eri and Ayumi were there in seconds, crowding around Kagome, and Inuyasha watched protectively --confused more than anything, but protectively anyway.  
  
Kagome glanced from Houjou's hopeful face to her friends glowering over her and back again, and then her eyes met Inuyasha's. He looked confused, but simply looking at him made her decision for her. She smiled at Houjou. "Gomen ne, Houjou-kun, but I won't be able to go out on dates with you anymore..."  
  
The boy was disappointed, but his feathers were unruffled as he responded, "I see. Have your illnesses gotten that bad?"  
  
Faceplant.   
  
Jumping up, Kagome slapped a hand to her forehead. *Houjou-kun, has anyone ever told what a BIRDBRAIN you are~~????*  
  
~*~  
  
"Sheesh he's aggravating..." Kagome muttered, drying her hair with a towel. Inuyasha was sitting at the end of her bed, watching her as she went to sit at her desk. She turned to face him, and watched in amusement as his ears flicked at the air, free of the hat. "So, when do you want to go back to Sengoku-jidai?"  
  
"Uhm... whenever you want to... I sorta wanted to spend some time with you here..." Inuyasha mumbled so quietly he wasn't sure if Kagome had heard him. He turned his face away, trying not to blush as much. *Dammit, this blushing shit has got to stop...*  
  
Kagome watched him silently and then smiled, a bit embarrassed, but happy. Her heart did a flip-flop in her chest when he said that. "You just came to spend time with me?"  
  
Bright red blush. "A..aa..."  
  
He turned to look at her, his eyes glittering in a way that only incandescent light made them. She smiled at him and went to the bed, laying on her stomach and hugging him around the shoulders. "That makes me really happy, Inuyasha!!"  
  
She knew what had happened a week ago was still bothering him. Surprisingly, it only bothered her a little bit, knowing she had actually died. Kagome didn't worry too much about it. What mattered was that she was alive now, and still with Inuyasha.   
  
But it worried him more now than ever. She had stayed behind for a week with no supplies for that reason alone, but finally decided she HAD to return when she no longer had any clean underwear. He hadn't put up too much of a fuss, but it was because of that that she had wondered how he was doing.  
  
She had never seen him as lost as he had been in the days after the fight with Naraku. He seemed fine now, but…  
  
"Hey, Kagome...?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What's a date? I heard you say it before, to that Houjou guy."  
  
Kagome blinked and glanced at him. He was glaring at the wall but she knew he wasn't seeing it. She pursed her lips, realizing he was reading to go off if she said the wrong thing. "Uhm... it's where two people... who really like each other go out to spend time together. Just the two of them."  
  
"You mean... like lovers?"  
  
Kagome felt her face go red. "Y-yeah.. Why are you asking me this anyway?!"  
  
Inuyasha still wouldn't look at her, nor did he answer her question. Instead he continued his interrogation. "You told that Houjou guy you can't go on any 'more' dates with him... meaning you've been with him to one?"  
  
Kagome narrowed her eyes, talking slowly, a little embarrassed. *He's fine. He's probably mad at me... like he has the right to be, but...* She shrugged. "Maybe...a few.... But it was just so I wouldn't hurt his feelings. He's sort of not all there so it's hard to tell him outright no."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
Kagome sat up straight, leaping back from the hanyou as if he were on fire. "That's none of your business!" Inuyasha turned to look at her finally, leaned against the edge of the bed. He looked a bit hurt, and a lot betrayed. "So you do…?"  
  
Kagome softened at the expression on his face and she lowered herself again, her face close to his as she rested her hands on his forearms. "Inuyasha, Houjou-kun is just a friend."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Kagome looked at him a bit closer and after a moment burst out laughing. Inuyasha, startled, reeled back and blinked. Watching Kagome laugh at him, anger built up in him until he demanded, "Wh-what the hell are you laughing at, wench!!"  
  
"The green monster rears its ugly head yet again!!"  
  
"What!?"  
  
"You're jealous!!" stated Kagome and Inuyasha blushed. "I-I-I... I am NOT!!"   
  
Kagome wiped a tear from her eye and asked, "So your NOT jealous?" Inuyasha spun around, facing the wall again and Kagome leaned forward, throwing her arms around his neck. "It's okay~ I sorta like knowing you get jealous for me."  
  
Inuyasha glanced at her sideways. Her scent was drowning him, she was so close. All he would have to do is lean a bit and he could kiss her... It took all of his willpower to hold back from her. "Yeah?"   
  
She nodded, practically cheek to cheek with him. "Yeah. It makes me feel better..."  
  
*Better, like you actually love me... even if just for a moment, it makes me forget that you're still in love with Kikyou.*  
  
They were quiet for a long moment and then Inuyasha sighed, leaning his head back to rest on her shoulder. *I'm completely at peace when I'm with you... You make me feel so good...* He tilted his head, his lips grazing her cheek. *I'm so glad I met you Kagome!*  
  
Kagome froze, feeling Inuyasha's lips brush her cheek. *What is he doing--!?! Is he--?!!*  
  
"MOU ECCHI! OSUWARI!!"   
  
THUD! CRASH!! Obediently Inuyasha made acquaintances with the floor, and Kagome reeled back, gasping. *D-d-d-d-d-d-d....... didhejust...........kiss me?!!!*  
  
Instead of leaping up as he always did with a good rant, Inuyasha sat up slowly once the spell had worn off, his fingers touching his lips lightly and his face a soft shade of pink. *What was I THINKING!!??!!*  
  
He turned a bit, to look at Kagome. She was staring at him, her hands clutched to her chest in shock, and he swallowed. "............Sorry..."  
  
That was even more of a shock. *Did he just apologize??!!!* Then Inuyasha lifted up a piece of the lamp that had gone down with him when she sat him. He'd hit the cord and it had fallen from the desk. "If you hadn'tve sat me, bitch, you wouldn've broken your stupid lamp!! Idiot."  
  
Kagome's left eye twitched and a vein stood out at her temple. "Inu...yasha..."  
  
"Eh?!"  
  
"Osuwari!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	3. Demon in Black

Chapter 3 revised. (2.6.04)  
  
Disclaimer: I own the Sprite from last chapter (I haven't finished it yet...P) And the Inuyasha plushie. I also own the Braveheart CD I used to write the angsty stuff in chappie one.   
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Two :: Tama  
  
Chapter Three :: Demon in Black  
  
Kagome felt the warm sunlight shining against her face and opened one eye, peering out at the sun lazily. Her bed felt so good, warm and soft and familiar, and she curled up at the edge, staring through the floor, still mostly asleep.  
  
On the carpet she saw a set of dirt smudges that looked almost like feet. That brought to mind Inuyasha, and thinking of Inuyasha brought back the events of last night.  
  
*That's right... he...kissed me.*  
  
Kagome snorted at herself disgustedly, rolling flat on her back. *Of course it wasn't a KISS. He just wasn't paying attention to where the hell his mouth was.*  
  
She sat up, wondering if he was still there. Her first thought was that he most certainly would NOT be, but she wasn't entirely sure. Maybe because Inuyasha would've thought what he had --sort of-- done was foolish, and it embarrassed him--  
  
*Wait a minute,* Kagome wondered, *Am I even talking about the same guy~~~?*  
  
No, she realized once she saw him; he was there at the end of her bed, asleep, but in a much different position than usual. Instead of hunkered into a little ball with his arms crossed over his chest, Inuyasha was leaned against the end of the bed, his forearms resting on it, and his head tilted ever so slightly on the mattress. On his face was the most peaceful look she had ever seen on him.  
  
It looked like this was the first time since he'd been born that he'd actually SLEPT. Kagome smiled at the sweet spectacle he made. *All his life he's lived in that world of demons, a hanyou who was neither accepted by demons nor humans. This probably IS the first time he's slept without any worry.*  
  
She sat up and shifted gently on the bed so as not to disturb him, and reached out. His hair was like silvery-white strands of silk under her fingertips as she rubbed his hair lightly. Accidentally her hand stroked one furry ear and Inuyasha moved, nuzzling further into the bedspread and making a soft noise. Kagome, afraid she'd woken him up, stopped, which earned her a soft growl. Confused, she took one ear and began to rub it tenderly, and was utterly surprised to hear a soft throaty purr from Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome stared. Inuyasha was actually *purring.* It was just a deep, low rumbling in his throat, accented by the occasional sigh of complete content, and Kagome heightened it by scratching one ear. And then Inuyasha --still asleep-- did the funniest thing Kagome had EVER seen him do.  
  
His right leg started going at it, thumping against the floor repeatedly. Just like a dog who was getting his ribs scratched.  
  
The harder she scratched, the harder that leg motored away. Unable to contain the laughter that threatened to burst free any longer, Kagome pulled away, laughing her ass off, which awoke her practically ecstatic companion.  
  
Inuyasha peered up at her with one half-open golden eye. "What are you laughing at??"  
  
Kagome responded with a silent giggle that was turning her blue in the face, and Inuyasha glared at her. "C'mon, what already, wench?!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome peeked her head out of the hallway, glaring into the living room at Inuyasha. The hanyou was sitting on the floor, grinning as he attempted to make Kagome fat cat Buyo walked on his two forelegs. She grimaced. "Inuyasha~! What are you doing?!"  
  
He turned innocently and blinked at her. "Nothing…" She frowned accusingly and then turned to go down the hall. "You've been pestering my cat for three days. Anyway, we're ready to go, so c'mon."  
  
"Aa." He gave the cat's tail a last interesting twist and followed Kagome to the front of the house. Her family was waiting nearby. Kagome worked to get her back pack situated before glancing at her mother. "Okay then, Mama, I'll be back soon!!!"  
  
"Kagome-chan, be careful, ne?" Mama said sweetly, her mouth turned up in a smile. Kagome laughed, waving a hand at her mother. "Oh, c'mon Mom, I'm ALWAYS careful. I have Inuyasha with me."  
  
With a few more parting words the couple turned out the door and headed for the wellhouse. Inuyasha frowned slightly. With his sensitive ears he had heard the comment Kagome had made to her mother about 'always' being careful. He snorted and started to make a comment about it, but then decided not to.  
  
*She died because she was protecting me. Not because she wasn't being careful. It's because I'm an idiot who does a piss-poor job of protecting her.*  
  
"Hey are you awake??" He snapped to attention and Kagome tilted her head. "I said c'mon let's go." She was sitting on the edge of the well, legs already hanging down into the empty depths. Inuyasha stuck his nose in the air.   
  
"Yeah, yeah wench, just go on already. I'm coming." He gave her a light shove and Kagome yelped, sliding off the wooden banister around the well, and then Inuyasha followed her down.  
  
~*~  
  
"You jerk, what if I'd hurt myself!!" Once they'd both rematerialized in the Sengoku-jidai Kagome punched his shoulder and Inuyasha laughed. "Don't get so flustered. I was just playing." He grabbed her and leapt out of the well, clambering out the quick way, and set her down. "There. Happy?"  
  
"Jerk." She marched ahead of him in the general direction of the village and Inuyasha, ever obedient, followed a ways behind. Usually he would miss no chance to walk on ahead of her and leave her in the dust, but at least in front she was ever under his watchful eye.  
  
As they approached the outskirts of the village, Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. *This scent... it's familiar... Whose is it??*  
  
"Is that Kagome?" They turned, and Kagome grinned when she saw her friends. "Shippou-chan!! Miroku-sama, Sango-chan!"  
  
"KAGOME!!!" He leapt into her arms and she grinned, hugging him back. "Hey, I missed you!!"  
  
Shippou was a ball of laughing and relieved fluff. "Oh Kagome, I missed you so much!! You were gone almost a week!! I had so much to do while you were gone. Miroku is worse than ever with his kazaana and Sango was fearful for her life!!"  
  
"I see you managed to protect her!" Kagome cheerfully praised the boy and Shippou grinned. Kagome walked towards Kaede's hut with Shippou and Sango in tow, chattering away. Miroku noticed the long look on Inuyasha's face and sighed as he fell into step next to the young halfling.   
  
"You didn't tell her yet." It was a statement, not a question and Inuyasha shrugged. "Nope."  
  
"No golden chances disclosed themselves?" the houshi asked and the hanyou shook his head. "No... I had the perfect chance. It was night, we were together, alone, in her room-- sukebe, stop drooling."  
  
Miroku wiped his mouth belatedly and then asked, "So what happened?" Inuyasha bared one fang in a snarl. "What do you think?! I ruined it."  
  
"What'd you do wrong?" Inuyasha found a pair of rocks on the ground particularly interesting as he said with embarrassment, "I kissed her." Miroku gawked. "Usually that's a good sign... Maybe she just hates you."  
  
Two lumps on the head and a hanyou with smoldering yellow embers for eyes later Miroku laughed. "Oka~ay, maybe you were just too fast. Haven't I taught you enough yet??"  
  
"Oh, shut up Miroku." Inuyasha growled, stomping off, and Miroku shrugged. He hastily caught up with the half-demon and patted his shoulder. "But boy, am I glad you're back. You were gone for three days you know."  
  
"Yeah I know. What happened while I was gone that's got you so happy to see me anyway?"  
  
"There's been a demon stalking this village."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What happened to 'the few demons left Sango and I can take of ourselves cause even without my kazaana I'm still a houshi??' You're a real letdown as a priest, you know, Miroku?"  
  
The young priest looked up at the sky through his dark bangs, purposely dragging out his words. "We~~~~ell, I WOULD take care of it, only that the demon... well, she's looking for you."  
  
Inuyasha stopped. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means that two days ago, this demon with a cloak concealing her face and shoulders started causing trouble, demanding where Inuyasha went. The only thing we got out of her was that when she was here last year, you were still pinned to the Goshinboku, and she demanded that we return you. She's been really hard to track." Miroku grinned, patting Inuyasha's shoulder. "Which is why we need you!! You caught the scent when you got out of the well, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I did. It's really familiar."  
  
"Miroku-sama said that it was possible you knew her," interjected Sango, appearing from nowhere. She was in the doorway to Kaede's hut, with the flap drawn back. Her eyes shifted to Miroku and she smiled at him, blushing slightly. "Come in, Miroku-sama, dinner is prepared."  
  
"Thank you Sango."  
  
Inuyasha blinked, not missing the silent connection between the taijiya and the houshi, but confused as to its meaning. "Wha~~ Since when did she started calling you by your name?! What happened to Houshi-sama?!!" Miroku shrugged with a playful grin, "Dunno. Maybe we had some fun while you were gone…??" He ducked into the hut as Inuyasha groan-sighed and stomped in after him.  
  
"So, Inuyasha, do you recognize the scent?? Sango-chan told me about it." Kagome asked and Inuyasha flopped down violently. "Hell no. I recognize it as familiar, but... It's like I haven't smelled this in... in years. Several years. I don't know who the hell it is or why the hell she's looking for me."  
  
Miroku sipped his soup, brow creased in thought. He looked up at the hanyou. "Judging from what you've said and what she's alleged, she knew you were pinned to the tree. You recognize the scent so you must have met her before Kikyou-sama sealed you there, no?"  
  
"Yeah, that's about it."  
  
"Oh well, that could be TONS of people!! I mean, Inuyasha's a demon, he was probably hanging around here for a long time before all this with Kikyou happened!" groaned Kagome and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "Just how old do you think I am, Kagome?"  
  
"I dunno, I figured you were a lot older since you were a demon." The hanyou growled in aggravation before sputtering, "NO!! I was only seventeen when Kikyou nailed me to that damned tree!!"  
  
Kagome, Shippou, Miroku, Sango and Kaede all blinked. "Really? Even I thought you were much older than that..." Kaede said, and Inuyasha pouted. "Why?? Do I look old or something?"  
  
"No... it's just.... You're a demon." Sango said and Inuyasha growled. "Whatever. I'm a YOUNG demon. Demons have childhoods, you know!! Look at Shippou~!"  
  
"Okay~ ANYWAY, back to the subject. Inuyasha, you don't remember anyone from your childhood who has that scent?" Kagome asked and he sat back against the wall and thought. After a long moment of silence, he shook his head. "No... only one woman... And she's dead."  
  
"Man, no wonder you're not good with women. Every girl who meets you dies." Shippou spat, not realizing what he was saying. The entire room was silent and Kagome bit her lip, moaning Shippou's name softly, like a mother disappointed in her child.   
  
She glanced quickly at Inuyasha. The hanyou looked expressionless. After a moment he stood quietly and grabbed Shippou by the tail, swinging him enough to get dizzy before chucking him into the wall and stomping out the door.  
  
Once they were sure he was out of earshot, Miroku turned to the dazed young kit. "Shippou, think about what you're saying before you say it!" Kagome looked down to make sure Shippou was okay and then darted out after the hanyou.  
  
He had already disappeared, into the trees that were his sanctuary and formerly, his home. She followed him into the forest, hoping she would come across him. Underneath the Goshinboku she heard a rustling of leaves.  
  
She glanced up. "Inuyasha??"  
  
"Who are you? How do you know that name?!" came a young woman's voice, and Kagome was so startled she practically screamed when a figure sheathed in a black cloak dropped from the leaves.  
  
*The demon...!!*  
  
"YOU!" the demon cried and Kagome stepped back, confused. "Uhm.. what? What about me?? What did I do??"  
  
"You're Kikyou, aren't you?! The miko who protects the Shikon no Tama!" Kagome's spirits dropped. *Damn, she wants to kill me for something KIKYOU did... Can't I ever get reprimanded for the stuff I do on my own??*  
  
Kagome waved one hand dismissively. "Nope, wrong girl. Sorry~~" She turned on her heel to return to the village but in a flash the black cloaked demon was in front of her again. "Bitch, don't lie!! I had seen your face before!! You and Inuyasha... together all the time!! You took him from me!!"  
  
"Took him from you…" Kagome caught her breath. *Was she in love with Inuyasha--?*  
  
The demon grabbed Kagome's wrist and yanked her close, squeezing hard enough to hurt Kagome. The junior high schooler winced when the demon's supernatural strength tightened in that one hand. Her claws were digging into Kagome's skin.   
  
"Bitch.. I'll never forgive you.. How you betrayed my Inuyasha... and pinned him to that tree!!"  
  
"No, it wasn't me!!" Kagome cried, struggling. The demon paid no mind to Kagome's cries of pain and yanked her around again, where Kagome could see the sparkle of yellow eyes in the light of the half-moon. "For fifty years I watched over him and now he's gone! Tell me!! What have you done with him!?!"  
  
Kagome finally wrenched her hand from the demon's grasp and cradled her bleeding arm to her chest. "I didn't do anything to him!!! I pulled the arrow from his chest when he asked me to, I'm not Kikyou! I'M KAGOME!"  
  
The demon's eyes widened. "You... You woke him up? He's free?"  
  
Kagome nodded vigorously. "Yes, he's fine…"  
  
"Then where is he?! Why have I not seen him, or picked up his scent?!"  
  
Kagome paused. That one moment was all the demon needed. The demon raised a hand with claws that looked suspiciously like Inuyasha's. "You're lying. I can tell when humans lie!! Kikyou... I'll kill you!" She charged and Kagome closed her eyes.  
  
"INUYASHA!!!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
Okie ja!! See ya next chapter!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	4. Mirror Image

Chapter 4 revised. (2.6.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha but I do own Tama so hands of!! (I own her character, not her appearance and you'll see what I mean if you just read it)  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Two :: Tama  
  
Chapter Four :: Mirror Image  
  
Kagome paused. That one moment was all the demon needed. The demon raised a hand with claws that looked suspiciously like Inuyasha's. "You're lying. I can tell when humans lie!! Kikyou... I'll kill you!" She charged and Kagome closed her eyes.  
  
"INUYASHA!!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha slumped over his knees, pouting as he casually plucked at the lush leaves of one of the trees in Inuyasha Forest. Shippou's words repeated themselves over and over in his head until angrily he slashed with one hand and the nearby branch slid off, crashing to the forest floor noisily.  
  
*Damn kitsune brat. He always knows just what to say to grind my nerves.*  
  
Inuyasha would not have been half as disturbed had he not thought Shippou was right. Inuyasha just had bad experience with women. *Mom, Tama, Kikyou, Kagome... And the only one I have to show for it is Kagome, and even that is because of Sesshoumaru... I didn't have anything to do with her resurrection... Dammit.*  
  
"INUYASHA!!!!"  
  
Inuyasha snapped to it, his ears picking out the delicate voice that was so obviously Kagome. She was near, and she was in danger. *KAGOME~!*  
  
The hanyou dropped from the tree at an angle, racing forward even as he fell. *Fuck; I'm over here brooding and I'm gonna let her die-- again!!! Kagome...! ...Wait for me!!*  
  
As he ran towards the Goshinboku he gasped. *This scent again!! It's stronger than before...!!* It was disgustingly familiar. He knew this girl, intimately. They had been together for years before Kikyou. But.. but she was… *N.. No way!!! It's impossible!!*  
  
~*~  
  
"EYAAAH!!" Kagome twisted to the side and the demon in black smashed her claws into the tree behind Kagome. The demon growled low. "Dammit, nimble little bitch!!  
  
With a yelp Kagome forced herself to her feet and scrambled for safety; she wasn't far from the well. If she could leap in, she could wait and come back in a little while--  
  
CRUNCH! An entire tree was sliced down behind her and Kagome squealed again. "Uwaaa!!!! Lemme alone, I didn't do anything!!!"  
  
"Kikyou you low, selfish bitch, have you forgotten what you did to him fifty years ago?!!" Another swipe with deadly claws just barely missed Kagome's head as the young miko dropped to the ground.  
  
"It... wasn't me!! I'm Kagome!!! Not Kikyou!!" She glared at the demon. "Just who the hell are you anyway?!! How do you know Inuyasha?!! Did..." Kagome glared at her. "Did you love him?!!"  
  
The demon paused and in her gestures Kagome noticed a hint of confusion. "I can't believe you don't remember!! Typical. You snubbed your nose at us, me and Inuyasha! You always thought we were wrong for what we wanted to become! For what we were!! That's why you wanted him to be human too!!"  
  
"It wasn't me, don't you get it yet!?!" Kagome trilled again. "I don't even know you!!" *Was she in love with him? His lover before Kikyou??!* Kagome wondered. "Show me your face!!!"  
  
The demon's right hand raised almost to her head level, "If that's the last thing you want to see before I kill you--" Kagome winced, readying herself for an attack, but realized it wasn't coming when instead the demon reached up and ripped away the black cloak around her head.  
  
Kagome stared at the girl-demon and gasped in shock. "You.. look..."  
  
She looked exactly like Inuyasha.  
  
Actually, her face sort of looked like Inuyasha's mother, whom Kagome had seen a long time ago when Sesshoumaru used a fake to lure in Inuyasha, except that the girl looked about 17 or 18 years old. The same age as Inuyasha. Her hair was silvery-white, eyes a bold yellow-amber and slitted like his.   
  
Messy bangs covered her eyes and at the sides of her face were two rather messy tails like Inuyasha's, tied off with a pair of violet cord. They even shared ears. A pair of white, furry dog ears sat perched atop her head. Her hair was long in the back, even longer than Inuyasha's, but it had been pulled back into a ponytail halfway down. She wore a blood red yukata, probably of the same hi-nezumi material Inuyasha's was, and black leggings underneath.  
  
Kagome stared. "Who.. are you?!"  
  
The girl snorted, looking VERY LIKE Inuyasha when he was pissed. "You still don't remember, huh? I guess you're stupider than everyone thought. Well it doesn't matter. Inu-chan will thank me when I'm finished with you!! Prepare to die!!"  
  
*Inu-chan~~??? Since when would he have ever LIKED being called that~?!* Kagome gasped once as the female hanyou took to the air, claws glowing a bright reddish-orange color and ready to slice her to bits, when she heard--  
  
"TAMA DON'T!!"  
  
Kagome opened her eyes to see Inuyasha slide in between the female hanyou and herself, and the girl-demon gasped, but not in time to stop her attack. Her claws slashed Inuyasha across the chest and he grunted in pain, taking the attack head on.   
  
Kagome grabbed at him. "Inuyasha~!!" He glanced at her, sweat beading his forehead. "I'm okay... just a scratch," he assured her. "You're bleeding. Are you alright?"  
  
"It's nothing, I--" Before she could finish, she heard Miroku's distinct voice call her name. "Kagome-sama!!!!!" She turned, seeing Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kaede coming towards them. Shippou, having smelled her blood, leaped up into her arms and hugged her neck worriedly. "Kagome, are you alright?!!"   
  
Kaede went to Kagome and looked over the girl's injured arm, while Miroku and Sango took places between the girl-demon --Tama, as Inuyasha had called her-- and Inuyasha.  
  
The girl-demon had gone into a state of silent shock when she saw Inuyasha, but now she returned to a fighting stance, cracking her knuckles. "Hn. More humans. Not like I can't kill these easily enough..."  
  
Sango readied Hiraikotsu. "So this is the demon we've been messing around with for two days now, huh? You don't look so tough, hanyou."  
  
"Sango...wait..."  
  
Inuyasha was gasping, the wound obviously worse than they thought, as he stumbled towards the girl-demon. Her look softened immeasurably and she went forward to hold him up. "Inu-chan!!"  
  
He laughed a little. "I toldja, don't fucking call me that. I hate that name." She narrowed her eyes, ignoring the comment. "I'm sorry, it's the poison… Are you alright? Shouldn't be that big of a hit."  
  
"I'm fine. It takes a bit more than hanyou poison to take me out, I'm the same as you, remember?" She narrowed her eyes suddenly and bopped him on the head, almost letting him fall into the dirt. \  
  
"That's right, you jerk!! You and I ARE the same!! We share the same blood and yet you're protecting ~her~?! That bitch Kikyou who pinned you against that tree for fifty years?!!"  
  
"That's not Kikyou, Tama... That's Kagome... Kikyou's dead."  
  
"Really??!! But they look so much alike!!"   
  
Tama peered around Inuyasha's shoulder and looked at Kagome closely. After a moment her nose wrinkled as she sniffed a little bit. Then she said, "Oh wow, you're right. It's isn't her!!" She lifted her hand in a wave and smiled almost stupidly. "Heh heh, sorry about that!!!"  
  
Kagome blinked a few times. "Why do I feel like she's not that apologetic...?"  
  
"Unh..." Inuyasha groaned as Tama's poison continued to work it's way through his system and both Kagome and Tama gasped. "Inuyasha..!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Really, I'm okay..." Inuyasha growled and Kagome pulled tight on the bandages. He yelped. "OW! What'd ya do that for?!!"  
  
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You're being stupid!! I don't care if you heal fast or not, you were poisoned and you're not out of danger yet!! So sit down, shut up and let me take care of you!"  
  
"Che~ you act like I'm some little kid who needs help with every damn thing he does." Her face softened. "I'm just worried about you..."   
  
"Damn humans," Tama snarled, "You can't put us on the same level with you. Kikyou used to do that too. Stupid woman." Inuyasha looked over at the other hanyou with a mischievous glare, as if he was about to reveal something the other would have rather kept in the dark. "You act as if you never used to do this too..."   
  
Tama's eyes widened. "Wh-what?! What kind of bullshit are you spewing now?!" she demanded and Inuyasha laughed, turning to Kagome. "Every time I got into a fight and got one tiny little scrape, you would've thought my stomach was hanging out of me, she would make such a fuss."   
  
Tama blushed bright red. "T-t-that was okay for me!! You're the only family I have!!" Kagome blinked. "You mean you're related?"  
  
"What, you can't tell?" Both Tama and Inuyasha asked in unison. Sango edged away from them, clinging to Miroku. "Scary..."  
  
Kagome blinked at Tama. "Then you're.. what? His sister?"  
  
"My twin." Inuyasha corrected.   
  
"Inuyasha has a twin sister~?!!" Shippou wailed, "This is really scary now!! There are two Inuyasha's!!"  
  
"They are nearly identical," Kaede mused, and Inuyasha nodded. "With the exception of gender, yeah. Almost everything about us is alike. Except as a man, I'm stronger and faster. That's why she has these horrible poison claws..." He glared down at his wound.  
  
"How come we've never seen you before?" Miroku asked and Tama shrugged, looking away from him and averting her eyes from Inuyasha completely. Inuyasha looked at Miroku. "It's like I told you before, when you first asked me about the scent. I thought she was dead."  
  
Tama seemed surprised at his answer, as if he was telling a completely new story to her. They were all quiet as Inuyasha started to tug his shirt back on. He looked at them and began, "It happened just before I found out about the Shikon no Tama. Back then, when we were about 16, Tama and I were always together. We had to be. We got each other out of the worst shit you could imagine."  
  
Tama narrowed her eyes but nodded, not taking her eyes off Inuyasha. "And then one day..."  
  
~*~   
  
"Damned nasty Oni!!" Inuyasha snarled, flipping up and over the ogre. The Oni, not realizing there was a second hanyou nearby, swiped into the air at the one he could see and Tama, from behind, slashed at the Oni's legs with her claws. "Gotcha ya sonnuva bitch!" She crowed triumphantly.  
  
The monster roared, falling back onto his stumps of thighs. Inuyasha snatched up the dinner he and Tama had worked so hard to steal from the creature. "Ha ha, ya missed, ya fucking nasty Oni!!"  
  
"Inuyasha, did you get it~?!"  
  
"Yep!! Let's go before he gets up; he's too fucking big and I'm too hungry to fight anymore!"  
  
As the pair darted through the woods, Inuyasha slowed suddenly, recognizing a particular scent in the air. "Rain?"  
  
Almost as soon as he said it, the heavens opened and the rains came, harder than ever. Tama, her hair and hi-nezumi kimono that matched her twin's soaked to her skin, stood next to him. "We should get home before it really starts up. I hate having to dry my clothes all the time."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Home" wasn't really anywhere; today it was a cave they had found nearby the forest that would eventually become Inuyasha no Mori (a/n; not that either of them knew it at the time, lol). The rain was getting so bad that the pair could hardly see. But they were dog-demon hanyous, and they had their noses.  
  
As they neared the river that cut off the forest from the cave, Inuyasha turned to speak in Tama's general direction as he could not see her anymore. "The river's flooded, are you gonna be able to jump that?"  
  
"Do I look like a fucking wimp to you or what? I'm your older sister by thirteen minutes, I can take anything you can!" she boasted, pushing him aside, and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Tama, don't..."  
  
She backed up and took a running start, and as she neared the edge, the ground underneath her feet broke away and she slipped into the river. Inuyasha lurched forward, not able to see her still, but also no longer able to smell her. His hand waved aimlessly in the rain, searching for anything of her to latch onto. "Tama?!! Hey, Tama where the hell did you go?!!!"  
  
No answer except the rushing of the river rapids and the thundering of the rain against the ground. "TAMA~~!"  
  
~*~  
  
"I waited at the cave for days after that... hoping she would come back... But she never did. After that, when I heard about Kikyou and the Shikon no Tama, I decided to pursue that. And you guys know how it happened after that." Inuyasha finished, closing his eyes and leaning against the wall, his arms folded over his chest.   
  
"What happened to you after you fell in the river?" Kagome asked and Tama shrugged. "I washed ashore a little later I guess. I was fine. A little water-logged, but I was up and around in a week."  
  
"And it took you a year to try and find me?" Inuyasha demanded angrily, and Tama glared at him. "You have no right to complain!! You didn't come looking for me either! You just waited for me to come crawling back home half-dead and when I didn't you gave up. Half my life I spent protecting you and for what; you didn't even care about me! Traitor!"  
  
The rest of group recoiled, not wanting to be in the middle of a fight fueled by sibling rivalry, and Inuyasha stood up, glowering over his sister. "Bull! It was the same for me, don't you remember?! Don't act like you were the only one doing all the work cause you were a fucking handful!! And who betrayed who, huh? Why the hell didn't you come home?!!"  
  
Tama jumped to her feet, sticking her nose in Inuyasha's face. "Baka no Inuyasha!! Baka baka baka baka!! That's ALWAYS what you were!! Falling in love with some stupid human woman and leaving me behind!!!"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What?"  
  
Tears gathered in Tama's eyes. "I came home! I came home and you were with that… that Kikyou bitch! When I saw how.. how happy you were, I realized you didn't need me anymore!!! We were always together, like a single entity. We're twins!! And yet I was the one abandoned, for some stupid miko! You baka!"  
  
And with that she ran for the hut. Inuyasha glared after her, one hand clenching into a fist, and then he spun on his heel, flopping down in one corner of the room. "Dammit, I don't fucking need this now... damned woman."  
  
Kagome leapt to her feet, incredulous. "Go after her!" Inuyasha looked at Kagome like she had asked him to stand on his head. "What the hell for? She started it."  
  
The teenager was shocked. "She's your SISTER!" The hanyou snorted and rolled over onto his side, his back facing Kagome. "Like I care. Tama's a pain in my ass and she always has been. Besides, it's been years since I've seen her. Things have changed alot since then."  
  
Kagome gaped open-mouthed at him and then turned on her heel, following the girl-demon out of the hut.  
  
~*~  
  
"Snf. Snf snf..."  
  
It wasn't hard to find the other hanyou, even in the dark of the night forest. The sounds of her crying led Kagome straight to her. She stopped underneath one of the trees and called up into it, "Tama-chan?" The sniffling stopped and a pair of angry yellow eyes glared down at Kagome. "What the hell do you want?"  
  
"Would you come down, I want to talk..."  
  
"Leave me alone, no way some stupid human could understand me." Kagome sighed. *This is like serious deja vu. She's more like Inuyasha than she seems. She's also alot LESS like him if she was that open with her emotions in front of people she's just met... Or he just really means alot to her.*  
  
"Please? I sort of know how you feel... being betrayed by Inuyasha..." Kagome said softly. Although she hated saying it that way... she knew.  
  
Tama looked down at her in surprise, but then turned away, snorting scornfully. For a long time they were silent and then Tama heard a rustling underneath her. Kagome was sitting down at the roots of the tree, patting her skirt as she got comfortable. Tama paid her no attention and gazed vacantly into the forest.   
  
After a long moment she said, "You're in love with him, aren't you?" At the surprised 'eep!' from Kagome Tama glanced down with a knowing smile. "I could tell. You had the same tone in your voice as I did with my husband."  
  
"You were married?" asked the teenager with surprise and Tama nodded, her manner again becomign vacant. "Uh-huh. He died though."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. How did he pass?" Tama looked down at with a bitter smile. "Old age. Humans don't last very long in comparison to us." Kagome looked away at the subtle indication that both Tama and Inuyasha were much older than they seemed. Both were at least 60 years old, but neither looked older than 17.  
  
"What did you mean, you had been betrayed by Inuyasha?" Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by Tama's soft question and Kagome blushed. "Uhm, well.. just that... even though I love him and I'm here for him... Inuyasha still loves Kikyou..."  
  
"Hmph. He's so stupid. After what she did to him?"  
  
"Well... that's sort of a long story..."  
  
"How long? I've got a couple centuries."  
  
So Kagome spilled the story about Inuyasha and Kikyou's betrayal, and Naraku, and the Shikon no Tama.  
  
When she was finished Tama sighed. "I see. He's so stupid." Kagome looked at her feet. "Tama-chan... He's your brother... I mean... Shouldn't you--"  
  
Tama grinned. "--Talk nicer about him? I probably should, but... We just get tired of each other sometimes and the worst things come out of my mouth, even if I don't mean it. You know?"  
  
"Yeah I do." Kagome laughed. "I have a brother too." Tama dropped from the tree and smiled at Kagome. "I think I like you. And I know Inuyasha does too."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
Tama gestured to her own eyes. "I can see it in him. He has the same expression in those beady little eyes of his as he did with Kikyou, except with you it's more... tender."  
  
".........You too." Tama looked surprised and Kagome smiled. "I know you didn't see it because you were so angry, but... Inuyasha was hurt too, when you didn't come home. He felt betrayed too. And I know that he loves you. I could see it in his eyes too."  
  
Tama grinned. "Thanks. Friends?" She stuck out her hand and Kagome clasped it. "Yep."  
  
As they head back towards the hut, Tama leaned over and said, "But really, I am sorry about trying to kill you earlier... honestly!"  
  
"Okay, I got it!!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
Okie ja!!   
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	5. Shininikubuta

Chapter 5 revised. (2.6.04)   
  
Disclaimer: ::huggles Inuyasha:: Mine. ::Lawyers snarl:: I mean, Takahashi-sensei's!!! ::nervous laugh::  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Two :: Tama  
  
Chapter Five :: Shininikubuta  
  
"Tama, why the hell are you following us?!"  
  
The complaint was from none other than Inuyasha. The silver-haired hanyou was in a better mood than the last few days, seeing as how they were on the road again, searching for shards of the Shikon no Tama, but he was none to pleased about his sister --his veritable mirror image-- following them on their quest.  
  
Tama clenched a fist, her eyes narrowing. "Why the hell can't I come?! I don't have a home and my place is with you, my twin! So quit your bellyaching and just leave me alone."  
  
"I can't stand having you around, you bring back bad memories!"  
  
"Well EXCUSE ME for being part your goddamned past, oh noble and fucking kind sir! Get over it Inu-chan, after fifty years of looking for you, I finally found you and that's it! You're stuck with me again!"  
  
Kagome sighed. "I suppose it'll be like this the whole time now..." Miroku rubbed his temples. "I don't think I can take much more."  
  
"And you haven't even left the village yet." Kaede observed.  
  
Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippou all glanced at each other, a collective sweatdrop appearing over their heads.  
  
~*~  
  
"So, Kagome-chan," Tama began, "how many shards of the sacred Shikon jewel are there left anyway?"  
  
They had walked for an entire day, stopping in nearby villages and such to investigate, but strangely there were almost NO demons in the area. That was odd, since Naraku had been killed two weeks before, which was more than enough time for demons to get wind of it and come out of hibernation.  
  
The gumi were camped by a small stream, and Tama was wading in the water, snagging fish left and right, while Miroku, Shippou, Sango and Kagome sat by the fire, and Inuyasha of course, distant from the group. Kagome blinked. "Uhm, well, I'm not sure how many there were to begin with... But we have most of them."   
  
She pulled out the Shikon no Tama, which was now nearly complete, except for a good sized chunk in its upper side. It looked almost liked a cracked crescent moon.  
  
Tama took a good look at it and then nodded. "Hmm. About six or seven pieces, looks like…" Kagome nodded. "About that, yeah."  
  
"We already know where three of them are." Inuyasha said, "That wimpy wolf Kouga's got two of them in his legs."  
  
"Yeah," Kagome said, and then glanced sideways at Sango, who looked a little distressed, *And the third one is the shard that keeps Kohaku-kun alive...*  
  
Kagome looked up at the sky. *I wonder what happened to him... after we battled Naraku, he disappeared.*  
  
Kagome glanced at Inuyasha's back. He was turned just a bit so she could see his face. He looked vacant, as though his mind was elsewhere. *I wonder if he's thinking about Kikyou... He's doing better after what happened, but I wouldn't be surprised… if he still loved her…*   
  
She sobered, shoulders drooping in sorrow. Of course he still loved her. She would never be able to get between them. Kikyou's death had done nothing to change Inuyasha's feelings.  
  
With impeccable timing, the hanyou noticed Kagome watching him and turned, his eyes narrowed. "What??"  
  
"Nothing." said Kagome, letting the jewel drop back against her collar and watching the fire crackle.  
  
Tama noticed the slight tension and glared back and forth between Inuyasha and Kagome. She finished her fishing and put the seven fish into a small basket near the shore. She stomped over to Inuyasha and grabbed him by the ear, twisting it. "Ow owowowOW~~ Tama, what the fuck are you doing?!!"  
  
Tama, still dragging Inuyasha away, turned to look at the group with an innocent, bright smile. "I'll be right back with him. Please go ahead and begin to prepare the fish, Miroku-sama?"  
  
The houshi nodded, a little surprised at Tama's quick intervention of the situation. "Uhm... okay."  
  
Tama continued towards the nearby forest, still dragging her twin by his ear. Finally, when they were out of the humans' earshot ranges, she released him and he whined. "OWW! That really hurt!! What the fuck did you do that for?! Why'd you drag me out here?!"  
  
Tama looked at him angrily. "Kagome-chan told me everything about you and Kikyou. I know about it all. So I just want to ask you one thing: who do you care for?"  
  
Inuyasha looked taken aback. "Why the hell would I tell you?! It's none of your business who I love!"  
  
"No, but it's my business that everytime Kagome-chan thinks you're in love with a dead woman it hurts her. She's my friend. If you don't care for her, then tell her so, so you can let her off the hook."  
  
"It's not that easy!" Inuyasha yelled, "Kagome... I tried to break up with her before. She still wanted to be with me. Even knowing I cared for Kikyou still, she wanted to stay by my side."  
  
"Which makes me wonder how fucking stupid you really are."  
  
At Tama's comment Inuyasha turned. "What?"  
  
The female hanyou had a little bit of a softer look on, and she crossed her arms. "Think about what Kikyou's done to you. She did all that to you DESPITE knowing that you were still in love with her. What woman would do that to the man she loved?"  
  
Inuyasha looked down. Tama continued.  
  
"Kagome-chan has been by your side, even when she knew she couldn't have you, has she not? That's not being stupid or persistent; she loves you. So I'm gonna ask you again. Which one do you love?"  
  
Inuyasha looked away. "............Kagome." Tama nodded with a snort. "I thought as much. You already know all this, don't you? And yet you're putting it off, and worrying about Kikyou." Inuyasha glared at his sister. "That's for a different reason. Kikyou and I--"  
  
Tama lifted a hand and interrupted, "Don't tell me, tell Kagome-chan. She's the one being hurt by all of this, not me. I don't really care whether or not your screw up your love life and it's really not any of my business. But if you make Kagome-chan sad again, I'm gonna have another go at your ears."  
  
She turned back towards the camp, leaving Inuyasha in the clearing alone. He blew a deep breath out, blowing his bangs away from his face. *Dammit. Tama has no idea how I feel. She doesn't understand me a damn bit.*  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He jerked visibly, turning. Kagome was standing in the clearing with him. She smiled, one hand folded over the other, her black hair a frame of curls around her face. In the broken shadows of the canopy above the clearing, she looked more beautiful than Inuyasha could have thought possible, and he caught his breath.   
  
"Is something wrong?? Come back and eat with us, okay?" She walked to him, gently taking his hand in hers and turning to lead him from the clearing. He looked down at her hand. It was so soft and warm in his. He wanted to be able hold her hand like this forever, to be able to hold her in his arms anytime he wanted.  
  
Would she turn him away now, though? Was his constant chasing after Kikyou enough to dampen her feelings for him? He was afraid to ask. Yet somehow he found his voice and whispered, "Kagome..."  
  
"Hm?" She asked, turning back to look at him. She blinked, not really comprehending. All she could see on him was this look of utter heartache, and she had seen it before. Everytime he looked at her nowadays, he would have this same look.  
  
*It's the same look he gave me after he kissed me at my house. Almost... sorry. Hurt. Maybe because he's trying to oblige to me and my feelings, but he still loves Kikyou? So he can't put himself into it?* She tugged her hand sharply out of his. "Sorry. Let's go."  
  
The hanyou was snapped out of his thoughts but her sudden action and sweatdropped, confusion bubbles and question marks surrounding his head. "Uhm, what? ......Wait up, Kagome what'd I do?!!"  
  
"Oh shut up, Inuyasha just, just...! OSUWARI!"  
  
SLAM! "Gah!"  
  
Back near the fire, the group heard the typical 'osuwari' and Inuyasha's yelp, and Miroku sighed. "He screwed up the most perfect chance. Again."  
  
"He's just stupid like that." Shippou said and Tama nodded. "I agree." Sango, petting Kirara, nodded in agreement as well.  
  
~*~  
  
"This is so stupid."  
  
Tama was standing at the bow of a boat, Inuyasha sitting almost directly behind her, Kagome, Miroku and Shippou littered towards the stern. Kirara was in the water ahead of them, swimming and Sango was on her back.  
  
"How many days have been out here now?" Tama asked, turning to look at her brother and he looked up at her with a glare. "Today's the fifth."  
  
"Five days?!! And nothing yet!!! My claws are dulling!" Tama growled to herself. "I wanna kill some demons!!!" Inuyasha grimaced. "You sound like a cannibal, Tama. You ARE a demon, remember?"  
  
Tama looked at him seriously. "I am a hanyou. I'm half-human. And I don't go around killing demons like Shippou-chan who keep to themselves and don't get into any trouble. I kill the bad demons."  
  
"All youkai are bad, Tama. It's just you and Shippou who are the exception to the rule." Inuyasha mumbled, and Kagome grinned at him. "So are you!! You're not a bad youkai, Inuyasha."  
  
He grumbled something under his breath, something sounded like 'yeah, yeah don't say that too loud.' Tama whined again. "Aaaah, I'm bored." Kagome laughed. "Well, I'm sure we're catching up to one. I mean, we're heading in the right direction."  
  
"Is the fragment still where you sensed it was yesterday?" Inuyasha asked and Kagome nodded. Suddenly he and Tama both snapped to attention. Both hanyous looked like they were going to be sick, and Tama covered her nose with her sleeve. "Oh... oh ugh."  
  
".....Do you smell that?"  
  
"Yep," Tama answered, "It's so thick that I bet even the others could..."  
  
Almost immediately after, Kagome covered her nose. "Oh God-- what is that~~?" Sango blew a breath out, trying to breathe through her mouth so she wouldn't smell it so much. "That's... blood, isn't it?"  
  
Inuyasha and Tama nodded. "Blood and decomposition... There's something dead that way and it's been there for... awhile."  
  
Inuyasha turned. "Kagome, you stay here." She shook her head vigorously. "No way!! The Shikon fragment is over there, and we need to get it! I'm coming too."  
  
"No, I said stay here! Just do what I say for once, okay?!" he said, leaping up. He disappeared into the forest and Tama looked at Kagome.  
  
"I'll come back and get you once we check everything out, okay? It's... gonna be bad, I can tell." And then Tama also leapt into the air, heading into the forest.   
  
Kagome gasped. "Ah, wait!! Tama-chan!!"  
  
Kagome pouted, gripping her bow in her hands. *How dare he tell me to stay behind?! He has no right to!* Slowly her anger gave way to worry. *Inuyasha... Tama-chan... be careful...*  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha observed the ruins with disgust, and Tama gasped sharply. Beyond the thick forest lining the river was a relatively large village-- and no one was left alive.  
  
The buildings were all torn down, and some were still smoking. Bodies were everywhere, in different degrees of decomposition. Inuyasha trudged forward, nudging one of the men onto his back. One jelly-like globule stared back at him and sickened, Inuyasha realized it was an eye. "Dammit, ya recognize this, huh Neechan?"  
  
Tama jerked in surprise at the sudden 'Neechan;' Inuyasha hadn't called her that since they were 8 years old. But by the same token, it reminded her of what he meant.  
  
When they were eight years old, they had wandered into a small village. Their mother had died when they were 6, and since then they had wandered aimlessly, stopping every once in awhile only to be kicked out after a few months.   
  
In this particular village, they were accepted at the time by an elderly woman with no children. The village feared the hanyou twins, for it was bad enough with one hanyou brat around, but twins was bad luck. A set of twins of both sexes --like Tama and Inuyasha-- was quite possibly the worst feared combination because it was so rare, which left the pair with nothing facing them except animosity and ostracism.  
  
However, the little old lady protected them; she was the first person since their own mother who had cared for them so dotingly. And the twins liked her very much.  
  
But after only two months of staying in the village, Inuyasha and Tama, who were always playing in the forests together, returned to find the village desecrated by scavenging youkai. The villagers had all been killed, and the youkai who had done it knew a particular spell which made corpses decompose more quickly, so the youkai could feast on the dead flesh.  
  
Tama could still remember the scent of the bodies. It was in the air now.  
  
"It's the Shininikubuta, huh...?" she asked and Inuyasha kicked at a head on the ground angrily. It was that of a pig, with large spear-like teeth like a boar, and dark red stripes burned into its grayish flesh, underneath its beady purple eyes. Apparently SOMEONE had tried to fight them off.  
  
"Yeah, it is. And I'll bet one of them's got the very Shikon fragment Kagome was feeling." He growled. "They're around here somewhere, it's their damn magic that made the bodies do this."  
  
"Well well well, what have we got here?"   
  
The voice sounded like a man gargling gravel, crunchy and slurry at the same time. The twins spun, and nearby were four Shininikubuta.  
  
The Shininikubuta, as the name suggested, were pig-like youkai, with gray skin. All of them had tiny purple eyes and were huge, seven feet tall each and underneath their eyes were vertical stripes that looked almost like burns. Six-inch-long razor sharp teeth stuck up out of the bottom jaw. They were heavyset as well, with thick arms and legs. Fortunately for the twins, not a damn bit of it was muscle-- all of it was flab.  
  
"A pair of inuyoukai twins, huh?" droned the leader and one of the others laughed, a noise that sounded like hyuk hyuk hyuk. "I want the boy. That hair a'his would look real good on m'armor."  
  
Inuyasha grimaced and Tama glared at him. "It's always like that! You always get all of the attention! It's not fair." Inuyasha gaped at her accusingly. "TAMA HE WANTS TO EAT ME!!"  
  
"Well he doesn't wanna eat ME..."  
  
"YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY NOT JEALOUS!!"  
  
"Boss, can we play with them for a bit?" asked the subordinate, and the boss waddled off to a sideline and plopped down. "Sure, but don't hurt either of 'em. Inuhanyou flesh is rare and these two look pretty tasty."  
  
"You feel better now? You've been included." Inuyasha said and Tama smiled brightly, baring her fangs. "It's makes me feel better to know I won't just be saving ~your~ ass by killing these guys." She peered at her brother out of the corner of her eye. "Ready?"  
  
Inuyasha grinned at her. "S'been awhile since you and I fought together."  
  
"Fifty years."  
  
"Yeah... okay, let's GO!"  
  
Inuyasha leapt off from where he stood, and Tama a little to the side, rushing around the three easily. They looked a bit confused, as if they hadn't expected the twins to be as fast as they were. Inuyasha took the first one out without barely lifting a claw.  
  
"Sankon Tessou!!!" The first Shininikubuta was toast.  
  
"Dokka Tessou~!" Tama slashed the second Shininikubuta from behind, and he was toast.  
  
The third looked back and forth between the twins --both of them wearing insane grins and cracking their knuckles-- and decided it would be best if he were elsewhere. He turned and ran --well, ran as only a 7 foot pig could run-- and Inuyasha raced up behind him. "You're not getting away ya damned flesh-eating bastard! SANKON TESSOU!"  
  
The third Shininikubuta was also toast.  
  
Inuyasha and Tama turned to the boss, who was looking rather unimpressed. "I suppose you two are proud of yourselves now? Well taking care of my subordinates is nothing. They were only your average youkai. I, Hakabuta, will not be so easy."  
  
"Hah! You wanna know how many youkai I killed who've said that to me?!" Inuyasha demanded, and Hakabuta snorted, a sound that sounded almost like 'oink.' "Little boy..."  
  
He disappeared, and Inuyasha gasped. Suddenly Hakabuta reappeared behind the twins. "You have no IDEA what you're up against." And the he swung his arm horizontally.  
  
"GYAH!"  
  
"Inuyasha~!!!"  
  
Tama ran to her brother as he landed. Hakabuta had slammed Inuyasha with his fist, which was about the size of Tama herself. Inuyasha was on the ground, unconscious, blood trickling down his temple. She shook his arm softly. "Inuyasha!! You dumb idiot, don't die on me!!"  
  
His face scrunched up, like he was trying to force himself awake, but then he stopped moving altogether, a small pained sigh escaping his lips.  
  
Tama stood. "And as usual it's me on my own." She glared at him. *He's stronger than most Shininikubuta... How...? Is it the Shikon no kakera that Kagome-chan was sensing?* She looked him over and then gasped. *There!! On his chest... it's like a tiny stone... Oka~ay then, aim for there, Tama!!*  
  
Hakabuta's eyes shimmered. "Looking to go for my fragment? I won't make it easy for you."  
  
Tama growled.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Glossary of terms used in this chapter:   
  
Sankon Tessou:: soul shattering iron claws  
  
Dokka Tessou:: fire poison iron claws  
  
Shininikubuta:: dead flesh pig  
  
Hakabuta:: grave pig  
  
Okie ja!! Tama versus Hakabuta in chapter 6!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	6. Expressing His Feelings

Chapter 6 revised. (2.6.04) ^-^   
  
Disclaimer: ::sighs::  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Three :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part one)  
  
Chapter Six :: Expressing His Feelings  
  
Kagome wrung her hands nervously. She was sitting on a large rock near the shoreline of the river, staring vacantly in the direction that Tama and Inuyasha had disappeared in.  
  
Sango was standing underneath the shade of a large tree nearby, with Miroku rubbing his head. He'd spied on Sango while she changed into her taijiya gear and gotten a knock around with Hiraikotsu for it. Nonetheless, they both looked pensive and worried.   
  
Shippou, ever the child with the attention span of a goldfish, was trying to catch a butterfly that was eluding his kitsune scampering, not letting the worries of the world affect him in any way.  
  
Kagome looked out over the river, and its gently rolling flow, trying to let that soothing noise calm her, but her brain had other plans. She jumped up, looking worriedly into the forest. "They said they would be right back. Tama-chan said she would come get me when they were done checking it out."  
  
"Maybe they're still checking it out," Shippou tried to calm Kagome and she shook her head. "There's something wrong, I know it. Inuyasha wouldn't take so long. Even if he was by himself, it doesn't take this long for him to check things out. He has Tama-chan with him. They should have come back already."  
  
"Kagome-sama, please just wait a little bit longer." Miroku asked, but in response to his plea they heard Tama's shrill voice.  
  
"GYA~AH!"  
  
"Tama-chan's voice!!" Kagome yelped, and without any hesitation took off into the forest, running as fast as she could. *Inuyasha!! Tama-chan!! Please be safe!!*  
  
She felt fingers hook the back of her shirt and she landed haplessly in Miroku's lap on Kirara's back. "This way's faster, Kagome-sama," he told her.  
  
~*~  
  
"Oof!"   
  
Tama hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop. She was sitting up quickly, and wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand. "Dammit! He's not only strong, he's fucking fast too."  
  
"Bwa ha ha ha!! Too much for ya, girlie!?" Hakabuta crowed and she narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint shining in them. *Man, if you didn't have that Shikon shard you'd be fucking small fry compared to me. Damn it all though, that Inuyasha let his guard down.*  
  
She turned to check on her brother and gasped. He was standing. She blinked incredulously. "I-Inuyasha!!"  
  
Inuyasha grimaced, touching a scrape on his left temple where the Shininikubuta leader had hit him. "Owowowow~~ You son of a bitch, that really hurt!"  
  
Hakabuta looked surprised. "You should be dead!!" Tama, taking her chance, leaped up. "Dokka Tessou~!!"  
  
Hakabuta's left arm flopped to the ground.  
  
Tama cracked her knuckles, grinning. "Gotcha." The pig snarled. "Do you think I'll be so simple?" He picked up his arm and reattached it.   
  
Tama gasped, "Holy shit! Is that the power of the Shikon no Tama?" Inuyasha growled, drawing Tessaiga. "Yeah, it is, but there's something else... I just can't put my finger on it!"  
  
Tama snorted, "This idiot's gotta have a weak spot somewh--"  
  
"Inuyasha!! Tama-chan!!"  
  
The twins looked up a bit, and saw everyone on Kirara, riding in. Kagome, impulsive as always, leapt off Kirara when the big cat was barely on the ground, and headed for Inuyasha. "Inuyasha!!" She noticed the blood on his face as she approached him and gasped, "Oh God, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch! What the hell are you doing here, I told you to wait for me!!"  
  
Kagome shook her head. "I couldn't stay behind!!! I have to help too!!" She turned to face Hakabuta and yelped when she saw him. "Wow!! He's ugly."  
  
"Mortal bitch! I'll tear your head off!!" Kagome yelped, but didn't have to worry; Inuyasha grabbed her and dove to the side.   
  
Hakabuta was turned towards the miko and the hanyou twins and Sango took her chance. "Hiraikotsu!"  
  
The bone boomerang swung true, and sliced Hakabuta in half. Kagome yelped, ducking from the spray of purple blood that rushed out as the top half fell backwards and the bottom half fell to its knees.  
  
"...you... bastards..."  
  
"UWAA!!" Kagome leapt behind Inuyasha. "He's still alive!" The hanyou glared at her. "Of course he is, he has a Shikon Jewel!! You know this already, Kagome! Stupid girl!"  
  
"B-but, he DOESN'T have a shard..."  
  
At that, everyone, including Hakabuta, gasped, looking at Kagome in shock. Hakabuta narrowed his eyes as his torso reattached to his legs. *This little wench can see the Shikon shards?!*  
  
He eyed her carefully and then narrowed his eyes when he recognized from where'd seen her before. *She resembles... Kikyou, the witch's foster daughter...! Then this is.. Kagome, Kikyou's reincarnation?!*  
  
Meanwhile the rest of the group were discussing what Kagome had just said. "Don't play around, of course he has one!! Else, what is that on his chest?!" Tama yelled, pointing to the purplish shard in Hakabuta's chest.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "That's not a shard. I don't know WHAT it is, but it's not a shard of the Shikon no Tama!"  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. *HE doesn't have it? But his strength is obviously from a shard! So where...?*  
  
"I sensed it as we flew overhead on Kirara. Its nearby, in the forest!" Kagome looked at the forest, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the shard. *Where? Where?!!*  
  
"You'll never have the chance to find it!! I'll kill you now, Kagome~!!!!!!" Hakabuta snarled, swinging his arm. Kagome squealed, for only a moment wondering how the pig youkai knew her name, and Inuyasha pulled her arm, falling backward to duck out of the strike range. Kagome collapsed on top of him.  
  
Hakabuta stomped over, lifting one huge foot to smash in their heads and Inuyasha rolled. Now he was on top of her. Tama gawked. "If you two don't MIND~ would you concentrate on fighting and not flirting?!!"  
  
Both Inuyasha and Kagome blushed and Inuyasha pushed away, going to his feet, and pulling Kagome up with him.   
  
"Kagome-chan, go and find the shard!!! Inuyasha!! Protect Kagome-chan while Miroku-sama and Sango-chan and I hold him off!!" Tama ordered, leaping up and over Hakabuta to land behind him and slash his back.  
  
"Like I need you to tell me what to do!!" Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga and grabbed Kagome's hand, taking off. *Tama's right though. That bastard's just gonna keep regenerating and reattaching pieces until we get his shard...*  
  
"Kagome, are we close!?" Inuyasha demanded as they darted through the forest, and Kagome nodded. "Close." Inuyasha felt the shard appear on the edge of his senses. *We ARE close,* he thought, *if even I can feel it now...*  
  
"There!" Kagome tugged her hand from Inuyasha's and sped to the left and Inuyasha skidded to a stop, quickly rerouting to follow Kagome. "Wait a minute, stupid, don't take off without me!!"  
  
Kagome rushed just past a pair of birch trees and suddenly a hand reached out from nowhere and caught her around the throat. Inuyasha stopped short, baring his fangs. "Dammit! Kagome!!"  
  
She was struggling to breathe, her airway not completely blocked but it was obviously difficult to breathe. A man stepped out from behind the trees, still holding Kagome just off the ground. He was a little taller than Inuyasha, with short spiky black hair and blood red eyes.  
  
"Well well, she found me. I'm not surprised, Kagome..."  
  
Kagome gasped for air. "Who...?"  
  
"My name is Torou. I am the grandson of the youkai miko Uramiko." Torou --who was obviously a youkai-- leaned forward and sniffed deeply in Kagome's neck region. Inuyasha let out a warning growl but the man paid no attention to the furious hanyou. "Ohhhh~~ You're most definitely the miko's reincarnation. Your scent is so... sweet. Not like your predecessor, Kikyou, who smells of death and gravesoil."  
  
Kagome gasped, mostly from lack of air, but she had picked up on the name. *Kikyou...? He... knows her?*  
  
Inuyasha also did not miss the dead miko's name. *Gravesoil? Does that mean he's met Kikyou recently?!* His heart skipped a beat. *Then, she's alive?!* Inuyasha shook his head. *Fuck, what am I doing, thinking of Kikyou now?! Kagome's in danger!!!*  
  
He looked at her. Her hands were scrabbling at Torou's fingers, and then they slowly fell as Kagome's body went limp. Inuyasha cursed again. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!" Inuyasha ran forward and threw himself into the man. The three of them toppled and Torou released Kagome.   
  
Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and pulled them into the brush nearby, hiding them for a little while from the youkai. Inuyasha leaned worriedly over the junior high schooler. She wasn't breathing too well. "Kagome?! Talk to me, are you alive?!"  
  
No response except for Kagome's ragged breaths. Inuyasha clenched a fist, his chest tightening. "Kagome~!" She suddenly gasped, coughing and shaking. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief. *She's...* He sat her up against the tree, brushing her hair from her face. Gently he cupped her cheek. *Kagome... you can't leave me again. I'm sorry... I promise I'll do better to protect you...*  
  
"Inu... yasha...?" He yanked his hand back in embarrassment lest she open her eyes and see him. "I'm right here." She coughed a little. "The... the shard is in his chest... I think... Hakabuta is being.. controlled..."  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "Okay. Stay here and don't call attention to yourself. I'll handle this."  
  
Inuyasha leapt from the brush, drawing Tessaiga, and slashed downward. Torou dodged. "Ah, the demon sword, Tessaiga!" Inuyasha snarled, spinning and swinging again. *How the hell does he know so much about me and Kagome~?!*  
  
"Bastard~~" Inuyasha swung again, and Torou continued to dodge.   
  
From her hiding place in the brush Kagome drew an arrow. Her throat hurt; it was raw and tasted bitter, but she was able to stand. She leaned heavily on the trunk, trying to stay hidden, and took careful aim.  
  
*Take him in one shot.* Kagome let fly with her hama no ya.  
  
The arrow hit the guy in the chest and he snarled as the purification power began to eat away at him, and the shard dropped to the ground. "Damn.. an exorcising arrow?"  
  
He snarled, glaring in Inuyasha and Kagome's general direction. "I'll return~!" And with that he leapt into the air and disappeared.  
  
In the village ruins, Hakabuta suddenly stopped, and his body sagged. "Wh...what? Where am I...?" Tama grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Hey they got the shard!! Then, without further ado-- DOKKA TESSOU~!!"   
  
Inuyasha knelt and picked up the shard that Torou had left behind. Kagome walked over, rubbing her neck. "I suppose he ran because he lost the shard, huh?" she wondered aloud.   
  
Without speaking, Inuyasha handed it to her, and she placed it in the large crack of the nearly-complete jewel she had. Using her power, she fused the two together and the ball reformed. The crack was only a little smaller, but nonetheless, progress was made. "There we go~! Pretty good, ne?"  
  
He didn't respond.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
She caught a glance at his face, and instantly felt like she'd been stung. He looked pensive and hurt somehow. *It's because Torou said Kikyou's name... He's thinking about her.*  
  
Inuyasha looked at her and Kagome looked away, finding something on the ground to look at. *Great; now comes the 'Let's all look at Kagome and be reminded of Kikyou cause she looks just like her' staring contest...*  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Kagome jerked suddenly. Inuyasha was incredibly close to her; she hadn't realized it because she had been lost in thought. One hand gently rubbed the bruises on her neck. "Don't run out like that again, okay? I was worried."  
  
Kagome worked her mouth, but no sound came out. He was being awfully sweet; usually he was a bit rougher with his reprimands. Inuyasha touched her cheek with the back of his fingers, his expression filled with much emotion. "Be more careful, okay? I don't wanna lose you again."  
  
Kagome blushed. "Wha...?"  
  
His face scrunched up as if annoyed with her, and cursed under his breath. "Ohh~ ......Nothing," Inuyasha huffed, turning away from her and glaring into the trees, "Stupid girl, watch what you're doing next time."  
  
Kagome glared at him. In an instant, he had gone from being sweet and concerned to his usual blockheaded self. And as much as it made Kagome let go of the worry that Inuyasha might have hit his head or something --why else would he act so sweet of his own will-- it did piss her off. She had liked that emotion in his eyes, whatever it was. It made her heart do doki-doki's and gave her a warm fuzzy feeling inside.  
  
"Wha~~!?! Oh, you... OSUWARI!"  
  
SLAM! "Gah!"  
  
Kagome stomped off. Instead of struggling like always, Inuyasha simply crossed his arms, resting his head on them. *Shit. She's so stupid... Kagome... I wish you could just figure it out for yourself so I wouldn't have to go through this stupid fidgeting bullshit everytime I want to tell you how much you mean to me.*   
  
"I knew it. I heard the rosary's magic go off and just KNEW you had fucked up somehow."  
  
Inuyasha glanced up. Tama was squatting next to him, her arms folded over her knees. She smiled. "She's got you on a really short leash. I think she likes you." Inuyasha sat up with a jump, glaring at his twin. "Shut up, Tama. You have no clue--"  
  
Tama cupped her hand over his mouth. "Don't say anything, I know how hard it is for you to express your real feelings." Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise and then Tama said with a smile,   
  
"I always just give you shit about it, but I guess if you haven't changed after all this time you never will. So I know that you have to wait until you're feeling it the most when you say it. When you were little you only said 'I love you' to me when you most felt that emotion. But I've seen dozens of time when you were completely overwhelmed with your feelings for Kagome-chan and you didn't say anything. So what's the matter?" She pulled her hand away from his mouth, satisfied with what she'd said, and having decided to now let him speak.  
  
Inuyasha sighed. "When I decide to try and say it, the words won't come. I don't know how to tell her." He gripped the fabric over his heart as if it hurt there. "Sometimes I wait so long that it hurts. And then I can't fucking say it. I hate not being able to tell her."  
  
"You tried again. I heard you." Inuyasha looked at Tama bitterly. His sister tilted her head, her face looking so much like his own yet so different. He wondered if Kagome felt that way when she was around Kikyou. The same, yet oh-so-different.   
  
Tama stood, tousling the hair between Inuyasha's ears, which was personally one of his favorite spots. It made him feel better about anything and she knew it. "You only have to say three words, Inuyasha. If you say it at the right time, she'll understand."  
  
"Yeah I know."  
  
~*~  
  
SMACK!  
  
Torou hit the ground, holding his cheek. "Forgive me, Grandmother..."  
  
Standing at the head of the table was an ancient-looking woman. Her white hair was pulled back elegantly, and she wore the robes of a high priestess. Her ears were pointed and there were three stripes of gold at either temple. Her eyes were blood red.   
  
"You young fool!" the youkai miko spat, "I send you to investigate and you allow yourself not only to be seen, but you lose the jewel shard I so vigorously searched for! Were you not my daughter's only son I would have killed you long ago!" She snorted. "You will be punished accordingly nonetheless. In your place however, I shall send Kikyou."  
  
"Hmph." Torou pouted. "Grandmother, the priestess... how will SHE be able to do what I could not?"  
  
"Kikyou may not realize it, but she has powers stronger than any miko in all of Japan. Excluding her young reincarnate Kagome, Kikyou could easily destroy all of the humans and those hanyou twins, without even a thought. You merely managed to appear foolish. Now get out of my sight."   
  
Torou left, kicking angrily at the dirt. *Kikyou, Kikyou, Kikyou. Ever since Grandmother discovered that damned woman at the bottom of the ravine, it's been Kikyou Kikyou Kikyou. What the hell is some important about some human girl?*  
  
As if on cue, Kikyou appeared round the corner. She was wearing her miko's garb, and her long black hair was pulled back as usual. She smiled at Torou. "Good afternoon, Torou-dono. The Grandmother said you had been injured. Would you like for me to--"  
  
"Get away from me, you bitch."  
  
Kikyou gasped, lifting a hand to her mouth in surprise. "I... I'm sorry.. I did not mean to offend--"  
  
He leaned close to her, eyes blazing. "Well you have, you stupid woman. Get away from me."  
  
Torou stomped away, leaving servants and ladies of the household alike in shock, and Uramiko, the youkai miko, appeared behind Kikyou. With gnarled old hands she carefully pulled back a wisp of hair from Kikyou's neck. "Kikyou-chan."  
  
Kikyou turned, bowing reverently at the old woman. "Uramiko-sama..." The old woman smiled. "What worries you? Torou has said something to you, has he?"  
  
Kikyou nodded, seeming disturbed. "I seem to have offended Torou-dono... I know it has only been a short time since I came to live here...I believe he has grown jealous of me."  
  
"My dear child, forget Torou. He is a young and foolish boy. You however, have much potential."  
  
"You require my powers, Uramiko-sama?" Kikyou inquired innocently and Uramiko nodded. "I believe you know the name Inuyasha?"  
  
Kikyou narrowed her eyes in thought. "I know the name, though I do not recall ever having met him." Uramiko grinned evilly. *As I expected. My spell is working wonderfully.* "Well, my dear, Inuyasha is a half-wit hanyou searching for the jewel shards of the magnificent Shikon no Tama. He travels with a young woman and this girl carries a rather large fragment of the jewel. Most of it, actually."  
  
"You wish for the jewel, Uramiko-sama?" Kikyou asked sweetly, and Uramiko nodded. "I want you to investigate the area for me. The wench Kagome will be of little use, as will the others they travel with, so you can kill them if you like. But bring back the jewel. And, the hanyou twins. They will be a useful pair once they're... taught some respect."  
  
Kikyou stood and bowed. "As you wish, Uramiko-sama."  
  
As Kikyou walked down the halls of the youkai temple she sighed in deep contemplation. *The name Inuyasha is rather familiar. I don't recall ever having met this... hanyou, but then if not, why does his face come to mind?*  
  
Kikyou sighed. *He has long silver hair and amber eyes... Amber eyes that are always sad. Why do I remember him as being sad and lonely? I...*  
  
"I cannot remember."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	7. Inuyasha's Heart

Chapter 7 revised, (2.6.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN EVERYTHING!! I own the world, I own Rumiko Takahashi!!! I own Inuyasha and Miroku and everyone else too! I also own Yuu Watase and Tasuki and Chichiri and--  
  
::gets hit in the head by several pots and pans. From the side, Yuu Watase-sensei and Rumiko Takahashi-sensei are teaming up and throwing miscellaneous kitchenware::  
  
Takahashi-sensei:: Oi bakayarou, mou urusai yo!!  
  
Watase-sensei:: Oo~!! Baka no fanfikkushon-chosha~!!! Hayaku dettete!!!  
  
Tessen:: ::running with arms over head:: Hai hai hai~~  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Three :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part one)  
  
Chapter Seven :: Inuyasha's Heart  
  
Tama stretched her arms, gazing at the sky. "Aaah, it's so blue today. I don't think the sky has ever been so blue. And I've been watching it for 67 years!!!"  
  
Kagome smiled bitterly. *At least SOMEONE can find some happiness in today. Stupid Inuyasha... I'm over there getting choked to death and he decides to brood over his ex. Even while he's checking on me to make sure I'm still living he's looking at me with the eyes he had for Kikyou. Can't he ever worry about ME? He always has to worry about his connection to Kikyou INSIDE of me?*  
  
"What the hell are you mumbling about?"  
  
At the sudden invasion of her thoughts, Kagome jumped thirty feet into the air, squealing loudly. With her reaction to him, Inuyasha gasped, holding one hand over his heart. "Jeez, don't do that! You scared me!!"  
  
"WHO SCARED WHO, HUH?!!" Kagome near-bellowed, and after she had calmed slightly, spat, "What do you want?!!" Inuyasha folded his arms behind his head and glanced at her. "Why are you avoiding me?"  
  
"What?" She rolled her eyes, continuing to walk her bike. "What makes you think I'm avoiding you?" *Not that I'm not, but still... he picked up on it awfully quick.*  
  
The hanyou looked a bit hurt. "Well you haven't spoken to me since yesterday, except for necessary stuff like 'which way' or 'hold up a minute' or whatever. I figured it was just your blood for this month but I'm not getting any scent off you, so.."  
  
"My blood..?" Kagome repeated in confusion and Inuyasha blushed. "Yeah. Monthly blood. You know... uhm.. the time of the month where women get exceptionally bitchy for no reason? The time that signals that a female in heat is no longer in heat? Please tell you know what I'm talking about now so I can stop looking like a fucking idiot?"  
  
Kagome was trying to stifle a laugh. "My period."  
  
"Whatever you call it. But that's not it, so what's wrong?"  
  
Kagome looked at him innocently. "Nothing's wrong." The hanyou snorted. "Bullshit."  
  
"Well okay, maybe something, but it's not a big deal."  
  
"Well what already, wench!?"  
  
Kagome winced, looking as if her confusion pained her. "Why are you so concerned anyway? You never used to bother with me before, so why now?"  
  
Feeling like a child caught doing something he's not supposed to do, Inuyasha blushed again and turned his eyes to the road. "Nothing! Jeez, if it's that big of a deal, I'll leave you alone!"  
  
Kagome frowned, stamping one foot. "That's not what I meant!" He turned back to her, eyes narrowed. "Then what DID you mean?!!" Kagome glared at him before pushing past him on her bicycle. "OH~~ Nothing...!"  
  
"Good gods woman, you're going to make my brain explode trying to fucking understand you!!" Inuyasha roared, to which Kagome kicked down her kickstand and whirled on him. "Nothing's bothering me!! Nothing of your concern, anyway! It's obvious that you're pushing yourself to worry about me so why don't you go look for Kikyou so you can stop worrying about her?!"  
  
Inuyasha gaped, utterly confused. Kikyou's name had come out of nowhere and he wasn't sure where the hell Kagome had gotten it. "What? Look for Kikyou, what the hell for?!"  
  
Kagome glared at him accusingly. "Isn't that why you're making sure I'm okay? So you can leave with a clean conscience? I'm fine, don't worry about me." She started to turned back to her bike. "You never do anyway..."  
  
Inuyasha grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Where the HELL is all this coming from? Are you picking this shit out of the air?!"  
  
Kagome looked up at his angry face in confusion. "What?" Her reply only seemed to make the demi-inuyoukai angrier. "I don't give a damn about Kikyou!" he yelled, "I wanted to know what was wrong with you; how the hell did Kikyou even get mentioned in this discussion?!"  
  
He was so stupid. Just, stupid. He didn't know anything about her. Kagome yanked her arm out of his hand. "Because that's what's wrong with me you idiot! OSUWARI!"  
  
SLAM! "Gah!"  
  
Kagome stomped off, and behind the couple, Miroku sighed. "He doesn't get it. He'll never get it. It's been months now since all this started and he still doesn't get it-- Shippou could get it by now."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!" the kitsune asked and Miroku sighed. "It means that you're too young to think about girls and yet you still understand that you have to let the woman calm down first."  
  
"Oh, of course. I dunno why, but I do know it." Inuyasha glared at them as he struggled to stand. "Do you guys know what the hell is wrong with her?!"  
  
WHAM! Hiraikotsu was knocked heavily onto Inuyasha's head and Sango glared at the squashed inuhanyou. "You're not only an inconsiderate jerk, but you're a stupid inconsiderate jerk! How dare you try to shrug off what you did yesterday!!"  
  
"WHAT DID I DO YESTERDAY?!!" Inuyasha screamed so loud the whole world probably heard him and Shippou glared at then dog-demon from his place on Miroku's shoulder. "When Kagome was hurt and you started thinking about Kikyou!! It hurt her feelings you idiot!!"  
  
"B-but..." Inuyasha frowned at this new revelation. *She misunderstood me... I wasn't thinking about Kikyou, I was worried about HER...* He turned and ran in Kagome's general direction. "Oi, Kagome, wait a minute, I have to talk to you!!"  
  
"Go away!"  
  
"Wait up!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"C'mon, at least lemme say something in my defense!"  
  
"I said go away!"  
  
"Will ya just wait and hear me out?!"  
  
"LEAVE! ME! ALONE! I hate you!!" she yelled, spinning on him and yelling mere inches from his face. Inuyasha felt like he'd been slapped. Kagome, satisfied that he had gotten the point when he sagged in defeat, stomped away.  
  
Inuyasha despondently watched Kagome go, and looked up with he felt a soft hand pat his shoulder. Tama tilted her head. "Give her some time...okay? Then you can tell her everything."  
  
Inuyasha nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
Kikyou pulled on the reins of the horse, turning the mare towards the right. "Uramiko-sama said that the hanyou twins were in Kiku Forest. I'm close then."  
  
As she rode Kikyou wondered about what she had realized earlier. She was missing at least part, if not MOST, of her memory. She knew what face was attached to the name Inuyasha, yet she could not remember why. She wondered if maybe she was just imagining it, but her feelings were so certain.  
  
*My mind is a complete blank. The only things I can remember are the past few weeks, when I woke up in Uramiko-sama's care... Have I lost part of my memory? Perhaps I am in some way connected to this Inuyasha?*   
  
She narrowed her gray eyes. *Maybe he knows who I am...? And yet I have been assigned to kill him, like some everyday assassin. Did he do something to me in this past which I cannot remember? Is that why I've been asked to destroy him? Or was it simply Uramiko-sama's will...?*   
  
"There are so many things I can't yet answer... or even comprehend…" She sighed deeply and dug her heels in. The mare whinnied and began to ride faster. "I feel my past is on the other side of this forest!! The answers to my past-- and the key to my future!!"  
  
~*~  
  
*Stupid Inuyasha. Stupid Kikyou. Stupid everything.*   
  
Kagome sat underneath a willow tree next to a small stream, folding her arms and burying her head in them to hide the sound of her crying. Not that it mattered. She felt like she'd been crying forever. *Am I such a horrible person to be with? That he can't even accept me as me and he always has to think of me as... as another woman!?!*  
  
"Oi."  
  
Kagome looked up and then twisted to look behind her. Inuyasha was sitting with his back to hers, his face turned to look at her, but his eyes hidden by his hair. Kagome gave his back a dagger-like glare before turning back and leaning on her knees. "What do you want?"  
  
"Dinner's ready. I wanted to know if you were going to eat. You've been out here for hours now..."   
  
At this Kagome looked up in surprise at the setting sun. She hadn't realized she'd been alone for so long. Had she really cried for three hours? And Inuyasha hadn't come for three whole hours??? Usually he was right behind her. Had he actually left her alone and given her time to think?!!  
  
"What is the matter with you?!" she demanded, turning to face his back, "You've been acting weird for a long time now! Tell me what's bothering you!!!" Inuyasha lifted his eyes to the sky. His face was calm, though Kagome couldn't really see.   
  
"You."   
  
Kagome looked irked. "What?! Me??"  
  
"Yeah... I have something I need to tell you... and it's hard. Hard because it's so strong... and I didn't think you would believe me but..." He closed his eyes, still not facing her.   
  
"I love you."  
  
The words seemed to roll off his tongue so smoothly. Kagome's entire body stiffened, her eyes widened. Before she could say anything at all Inuyasha smiled a little bitterly, and a little sadly. "I know that I've been confusing you... and it's my fault that you cry all the time. But I love you."  
  
His shoulder made a subtle little shrug as he shifted. "I can't help it if I look at you the same way I looked at Kikyou. I loved her once. And when you and I first met, I thought you looked a lot like Kikyou. And it took a long time before I was able to realize that you may look like her, but you're not anything alike."  
  
He took a deep breath. "Kikyou was always sad. She was kind, but alone. I was alone too. We needed each other to counter the loneliness we both felt. And that's why I loved her."  
  
He finally turned to look at her then and Kagome saw the sincerity on his boyish face. With every word he spoke more and more she believed he meant every single word. "But you... you're warm, and gentle, and kind and you're always happy. And when I'm with you, you make me happy. I feel calmer and I'm always inspired. You make me want to be better. And I'm not alone anymore."  
  
He smiled, reaching out and brushing her fingers over her dark locks. "Because of you, I have lots of friends. Because of you, the first person I ever really trusted, I have Miroku and Shippou and Sango now. Kikyou held me in my loneliness. You saved me from it. Which is why I love you, Kagome. I only see you."  
  
For a long moment they were both silent, and Kagome just stared at him. Her entire body, tense with apprehension and surprise, relaxed, and she lowered her eyes to the grass. Inuyasha exhaled deeply, heart thumping against his chest frantically. He had finally said it. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been more nervous in his life than right now, waiting for her reaction.  
  
After a long time she still hadn't said anything, so much to the point where he thought if she was asleep again he'd wring her neck. He growled softly, unable to bear it any longer, and he reached out, cupping her face. "Kagome...?"  
  
His fingers found liquid on her smooth cheeks, his nose smelled the salt of fresh tears. "...D-Do you... really mean that?" Her voice quaked with emotion as she looked up.  
  
Kagome was crying. Her entire body shook with the effort of trying to hold the tears back. Her lips quivered. Inuyasha nodded at her. "Of course I meant it!! I wouldn't say it if I--" He looked horrified as her tears doubled. "Wait a minute, don't cry~!"  
  
Abruptly she threw her arms around his neck. "Inuyasha~!!"  
  
He blinked, looking down at the teenage girl on his chest. He was absolutely, positively confused. "Ka.. gome?" She was laughing and crying at the same time. "Inuyasha, that makes me so happy~!!!"  
  
The hanyou bit his lip. "What? B-but.. you told me you hated me..." She shook her head, still holding him. "I don't hate you... I just said that because I was mad... I could never hate you, Inuyasha, I love you...! I love you so much!"  
  
Inuyasha swallowed thickly. Contradicting what he had imagined would happen when he told her, she was holding him instead of sitting him. Instead of eating dirt he was-- well, close to tasting her, anyway. She was so close to him. Her words echoed in his head. Had she just said that to him?? Had she really...?  
  
"Really...?" he asked and she pulled away, her hands cupping his cheeks as she looked into his eyes. "Yes. I love you~! I've... always loved you!" She leaned forward then and Inuyasha's eyes widened as she pressed her lips to his.  
  
He didn't waste an instant. He pulled her to him and kissed her back. Her arms were tight around his ribs, her small hands grasping the back of his gi. Desperately Inuyasha crushed her to him, trying the quell the passion swelling up in his chest. He had wanted this for so long. He had wanted her. He had wanted --needed-- to be wanted by her.   
  
He felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. Kagome loved him. That one thought drove him mad with euphoria inside, that Kagome loved him. His Kagome. She wasn't anyone else's, she was his.  
  
And he was hers.   
  
It was where he wanted to be. Home.  
  
They parted after what seemed like hours and Inuyasha rested his head on her shoulder, just cherishing the feel of Kagome in his arms. She was stroking his hair, her cheek pressed to his. He felt like he should say something, but realized he didn't know what to say, nor did he really want to. He wanted his embrace to say everything, and he hoped she understood.  
  
Kagome loved this place. In the warm, comfortable, safe stronghold his arms and chest created, shadowed by a veil of silver hair which had fallen over his shoulder, brushing Kagome's face. With a rough affection he rubbed his cheek against hers. She loved it, even though he was like something foreign and familiar at the same time.   
  
She was so unaccustomed to the Inuyasha whom she was embracing, and yet he was the same as ever. She wanted to hold him for as long as she could and explore this new entity, his hair, his eyes, his skin, all looking the same as yesterday yet ever more intriguing.  
  
How had this happened? One moment she was sure she would never have him; he was Kikyou's, and he could never be hers. It seemed like everytime she took a step closer, he took a step back, forever out of her reach. And yet his one moment of total sincerity, an emotion she had scarce seen from him, had 180'd her.   
  
He had sounded so heartsick, so completely honest, so uncertain of her feelings. Not his, though. He spilled his heart to her, knowing his own heart, but afraid of hers. It was the first time that she could remember that he had made such a trusting display of himself. She loved it. She loved him.  
  
In the moment they were together she had completely forgotten everything. Their fight, Kikyou, their troubles, the shards, everything that had ever happened to pull them apart. None of it mattered because they were together now.  
  
"Are you still mad?" His voice was husky and low.  
  
"No." She held him tighter, smiling broadly. "I'm too happy."  
  
From the bushes, Miroku's voice demanded, "Hey can we come out now, we're dying over here!!!"  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome both blushed a bit, and Kagome stood first, taking Inuyasha's hand in hers and pulling him up with her. "Yeah, guys, c'mon."  
  
From the bushes Sango and Tama practically bounced over to Kagome and latched onto the girl. Both of them were crying and it started Kagome up again too. Miroku slapped Inuyasha on the back. "Way to go, dog-boy!"  
  
"Yeah, whoda thought?" Shippou squeaked, and Inuyasha, blushing a faint shade of pink, cracked his knuckles. "You guys~~"  
  
"Uwaa~~!!!"  
  
"Inuyasha, cut it out!!"  
  
"Oh, my..." Sango murmured, her eyes suddenly fixed on something on the horizon. Inuyasha was laughing, and Kagome was hanging on his arm, laughing too. Kagome turned with an innocent smile "What is it, Sango-chan?"  
  
"Ka.. gome-chan?" Tama asked, suddenly seeing now what it was Sango was looking at and Miroku winced, at a loss for words. Inuyasha and Kagome, confused, turned to see what everyone was glaring at--  
  
--and Inuyasha caught his breath, his eyes going wide. Kagome's hands tightened on his forearm. "Ki..."  
  
Inuyasha's heart sank. "Kikyou..."  
  
The dead miko was on a chestnut mare against the setting sun. She had an expression of loss, anger, hatred... and Inuyasha couldn't speak. What kind of fate was he attached to that the moment he managed to confess his feelings to the woman he truly loved that he was faced with his past love? *Someone has it out for me, I'm sure now...*  
  
Kikyou narrowed her eyes, the gray orbs falling on Inuyasha's face. "You are... Inuyasha?" she asked and the whole group did a double take. Kikyou didn't recognize him??  
  
"Kikyou, you don't know me?? What... what's happened to you?" Her eyes widened in a glare. "So you are, then..." Quicker than anyone could see, her bow and arrow was raised and she glared at him, preparing to fire.   
  
"Die, Inuyasha!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	8. Forgiving

Chapter 8 revised (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: ::sleeping on the couch:: I own Inuyasha... ::wakes up and is slapped in the face by cold harsh reality:: Oh.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Three :: Kagome, Inuyasha & Kikyou (part 1)  
  
Chapter Eight :: Forgiving  
  
Kikyou drew back her bowstring and grit her teeth. "Die, Inuyasha!!"  
  
She let go.  
  
For a moment Inuyasha was back there, 50 years ago. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out everything except for one train of thought hysterically running through his head. *Can I change it..? Can I change my past? If I dodge this arrow... can Kikyou and I still be together?*  
  
"Inuyasha~!!"   
  
Abruptly he felt himself yanked out of the way, and the arrow flew past, tearing open his sleeve. He felt a tug on his hair, and out of the corner of his eye he saw some of the silver strands snapping and fluttering on the wind.   
  
He staggered over on top of Kagome and at the moment he saw her worried face his heart skipped a beat. *Kagome~!* She tripped backwards, bringing him down over her, but he threw out his hand, catching them on the ground as they fell, his other arm instinctively wrapping around her waist to hold her.  
  
Inuyasha felt a rush of extreme guilt over him suddenly when he saw her eyes. She had seen the look on his face. It wouldn't have surprised him if she knew exactly what he had been thinking, as she so often did. And he suddenly felt like he'd done something horrible, the worst of the worst. *What am I thinking? .........I don't want to hurt you anymore...*   
  
As he stood, placing his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga, he closed his eyes, feeling the last piece of his heart that loved Kikyou bury itself in him. *Kikyou is dead.* He told himself, *We can't be together anymore. Right now, all I see-- is Kagome~!!*  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome stared. Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, and the look in his eyes was pure hellfire. She gasped when she realized what was happening. What the determination in his eyes meant. And as quickly as she'd realized it, she was confused. *He... what is he doing...?! I thought he...*  
  
Kikyou tsked aloud. "Dammit, I missed. Stupid bitch, it's a good thing you did that. Now I won't feel so bad about having to kill you!"  
  
Kagome gasped when Kikyou lanced another arrow at her. Without a second thought, Kagome reached out and snatched it from the air. For a moment the arrow crackled purple energy, and Kagome winced. "Nnh~!"  
  
And then the arrow stopped, and Kagome dropped it. It fell to the ground harmlessly, a normal arrow. Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "How... what are you?!"  
  
Kagome stared at the arrow. *Kikyou's arrow's purification power was canceled out by mine...* Kagome looked back up at Kikyou, eyes wide. *Is this really Kikyou...? How come she doesn't recognize Inuyasha... or even me?* Her face sobered. "Inuyasha, is it... really Kikyou?"  
  
He glanced at her, eyes downcast. "Yes... I would know the scent of bones and gravesoil anywhere... It's definitely Kikyou."  
  
He looked back up to see Kikyou off her horse and walking towards them, eyes trained on Kagome. Inuyasha growled at her, stepping in front of Kagome defensively. The dead miko looked at him lazily. "Hanyou; they're all the same. They... don't know their place!"  
  
She lifted a hand, placing it against Inuyasha's stomach, and the light crackled around it as she used her miko energy. Inuyasha cried out, flying backwards and slamming hard into a large elm behind him. Kagome spun to look at the hanyou, who sat slumped at the base of the tree, unconscious. Kagome turned back, her eyes wide.   
  
Kikyou smirked. "I bet he regrets that now."  
  
Kagome glared at her, her eyes still wide in shock. Kikyou had hurt him. Ruthlessly, as if she truly did not know him at all, Kikyou had struck Inuyasha. The younger miko clenched her fists. "Kikyou, how could you!! Don't you touch him again, EVER!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"  
  
With the younger miko's yell, an invisible energy pounded around Kikyou's body, and she gasped as she began to glow light blue, suddenly feeling very light headed. "Wh.. what....?"  
  
A blue globe of light appeared from her body and flew away. Kikyou looked at it in bewilderment. *What is that..?!*  
  
"Wa..wait..." Feeling her body give out as several more of the blue lights disappeared, she closed her eyes. "Ura.. miko..."  
  
The group watched in bewildered surprise as Kikyou collapsed into a heap. Kagome wasted no more time on the other miko, turning and going to Inuyasha's side. She knelt by him, brushing back his long hair so she could look at his face. *Inuyasha…*  
  
"A~~ah~~ What a pain."  
  
At the gravelly sounding voice, everyone looked up as a black hole opened in the middle of the air, and from it, a black stallion with red eyes appeared. Riding on it was an elegant old woman in miko's robes.   
  
She hopped off the horse and picked up Kikyou's body. "Poor child. I would not have sent her had I been aware of your power on her. I reanimated her yet again with the power of human souls I gave her... Even made her stronger than before. But you have the power to expel her souls..." The old miko glared at Kagome.  
  
Miroku stepped between the old woman and Kagome. "You're Uramiko, the youkai miko?!"  
  
"That I am." the old witch crooned, and Kagome rested Inuyasha against the tree trunk, stroking his cheek gently as she stood. Then she turned, her face dark as she came to stand by Miroku. "How dare you use Kikyou!"  
  
The old woman cackled. "She is mine to use as I wish! That kijou Urasue... what a fool! 'Resurrect Kikyou'...? Don't make me laugh!" Her red eyes narrowed menacingly.   
  
"Kikyou is dead. But this doll made of dirt and bones... it has the ability to use Kikyou's great powers. That's all this body is-- a living doll. And used in the correct ways..." the demon miko laughed as she eyed Kagome's Shikon no Tama. "After I have sown the seeds... she will reap for me a great prize."  
  
Kagome shook with anger, staring through the ground. "Kikyou... she's not just a doll!! That's her feelings you're playing with!! Kikyou's soul still lives in that body!!" Kagome came from around Miroku, notched an arrow and released the bowstring in seconds. The arrow lanced towards the old miko. "I won't forgive you!!"  
  
Uramiko watched the arrow lazily before she dodged without missing a beat. Kagome gasped. "She.. dodged my arrow?!"  
  
Uramiko sneered. "Useless child's toys. A pathetic little reincarnation's attempt at fighting. Little girl, if you want to try and defeat me, you'll have to do better than this." She flung out a hand, and jaki shot from it.   
  
Miroku leapt between them, holding up his shakujou as a barrier. For a moment they wavered, jockeying for position, before Miroku was thrown back. Sango gasped. "Miroku-sama!!"  
  
The taijiya glared at the old witch. "You..!! ...Hiraikotsu!" She threw her boomerang, and Uramiko glared at it. "Useless..." she muttered, before catching and rethrowing the weapon at them without ever actually touching it.   
  
"Mind power??!" Sango yelped as Miroku pulled her down, unfortunately leaving Kagome open to the attack. She gasped, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the worst.  
  
There was a loud clang as Hiraikotsu bounced off something metal, and Kagome opened her eyes so see Inuyasha standing before her. He was wavering on his feet, but standing nonetheless, and he held Tessaiga defensively in front of himself. It looked as if it took all his strength to just stand, much less hold the sword.  
  
"D-dammit..." he growled, and Kagome grabbed the back of his haori to support him. "Inuyasha?!!"  
  
He ignored her. "Uramiko!! If you're after the... the Shikon no Tama, why don't you just take it!! You obviously have the strength to do so... So why are you fucking around?!" He grinned, baring one fang. "Not that I'll just LET you have it, of course. I'm just... curious."  
  
Uramiko hopped back up onto the horse, Kikyou's body draped over her lap, and then she said, "The same reason Naraku had you attack the village when he killed your Kikyou. It needs to absorb the ill will. And this group is MORE than worthy enough to bear the pain that jewel must possess before I want it."   
  
The entire group glared at her, loathing her, and she smiled. "That and I want to see more of those expressions on your faces. Those eyes filled with pain and anger... I'm rather fond of them."  
  
From behind, where no one had even noticed, Tama leapt high into the air and came down onto Uramiko. "Dokka Tessou~!!"  
  
She slashed through the old witch, whose "body" then transformed into dust. Uramiko's body disappeared, but the stallion rode back into the black hole with Kikyou, and the hole closed. Tama growled aggravatedly, looking at the dust in her claws. "Damn.. a kugutsu..."  
  
Miroku stood, using his shakujou to pull himself up. "Dammit... she's tough... Still just a demon, but she threw back my houriki without even trying..." the houshi said and Sango, went to him, holding him up and looking over him worriedly. "Are you hurt~??"  
  
"I'm fine, Sango." he said, giving her short glance, and she blushed a little before bowing her head, and bringing his hand to her cheek gratefully. "Thank goodness."  
  
"Nnh!" Inuyasha collapsed to his knees, holding himself up with Tessaiga which was stuck in the ground, and Kagome grabbed onto him. "Inuyasha?!!"  
  
He closed his eyes, breathing out heavily. "I'm okay... just... Kikyou wasn't ever that strong before. It was worse than ever..."  
  
"Uramiko did say that. She said she had given Kikyou more power," interjected Tama, and Inuyasha cursed. "Fucking bitch. Like Kikyou needed any more strength.."  
  
"I'm a little concerned," Miroku began, and Sango looked up at him. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Why would a youkai miko need a human one? What possible reason could Uramiko have for Kikyou-sama? If Kikyou-sama chooses to, she can purify Uramiko in an instant. And yet she gave Kikyou-sama even more power." Miroku looked at them seriously, and Tama frowned. "You think Kikyou has more to do with what's going on than just coming here to stir things up?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Kagome looked away. *Kikyou has been trapped by a demon miko and she doesn't remember Inuyasha... That must hurt him, even if he cares for me... To know that the woman he loved-- once loved... doesn't know him...* She looked at him, still holding his hand. *He must still be in pain...*  
  
~*~  
  
Kikyou opened her eyes weakly. The room she was in...it was her room at the temple? And there was a light blue glow around her, like the one that left her body before. She tried to move, and instantly pain shot through her. Even breathing was a struggle.  
  
Uramiko was suddenly there, and she patted Kikyou's forehead gently. "There, there. Do not move, my dear. You're weak from your battle."  
  
Kikyou saw one of the blue lights float into her and the pain faded slightly. She could manage words. "That girl... how did she do that..?? What did she do to me??"  
  
Uramiko frowned. "That girl is a miko, my dear. You are a demon, and she attempted to purify you. I rescued you and you are safe once more. I am sorry, my dear one. I was unaware of the power that girl had on you. Had I known you would be in danger I would not have sent you unprepared."   
  
Uramiko called forth one of the long light blue insects that Kikyou had seen around the temple before. Uramiko called them Shinidamachuu. She did not know what they were for, but they seemed to follow her around more often than anyone in the entire temple.  
  
Usually the Shinidamachuu carried blue-white orbs of light, but one of them appeared with a red-black one. Uramiko took the light in her hands and Kikyou looked at her weakly. "What... is that?"  
  
"This is the soul of a man named Onigumo. He was quite an evil one, I tell you... And this soul will increase your strength tenfold. Battling that girl would not be a problem anymore."  
  
"Why do I require souls... Uramiko-sama...?"  
  
Uramiko smiled. "Because my dear, you are a corpse-demon miko. You can raise the dead, and feed on the souls of the living. They give you strength." With that she passed Onigumo's soul to Kikyou.   
  
A red light filled the room, and Kikyou cried out. Uramiko watched the girl transform with a wicked smile. *Let's see how you fare now, girlie...*  
  
~*~  
  
"Ow! What'd ya do that for?" Inuyasha demanded as Tama walked past him, giving his ear a sharp tug, and she looked down at him, her face the mirror of his own when he was angry.  
  
"You lowlife bastard~!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"I saw you today. Kagome-chan did too. You were thinking of trying to stay with Kikyou, weren't you?" Inuyasha looked taken aback. After a moment he turned his face away, "Damn you women. Always reading me like a fucking book..."  
  
"You're a guy, and you're a simpleton. That's way too easy a combination to understand, Inu. What the hell were you thinking?~! And after telling Kagome-chan you love her!"   
  
"I felt guilty about it, does that make you feel any better?!" he demanded, whirling on his twin, "I loved Kikyou!! I was going to become human for her!! And then I didn't even trust her enough to believe she wasn't the one who attacked me that day!!"  
  
He calmed slightly. "If… If I'd just been able to trust her, she wouldn't be in the mess she is now! I love Kagome, but... but Kikyou is still in trouble! I have to save whatever is LEFT of her to save! And YOU have no fucking right to blame me for how I feel!!"  
  
Tama glared at him, their noses inches apart. "I have EVERY right! I care for you, you jackass!! I care about Kagome-chan too! But sure, go ahead, if you wanna fuck up everything, go ahead! I won't stand here and stop you! Hell, I'll give you a head start," She grabbed him and yanked him up, and they started to stomp towards the camp. "Let's go tell Kagome-chan. Go tell her that it's over."  
  
Inuyasha tugged uselessly on his hand. "Let go of me, Tama!" he yelled and she rounded on him. Before either of them realized what she had done, she'd already slapped him.   
  
Inuyasha looked shocked. It was the first time she had ever hit him. Tama looked astounded herself, that she had raised her hand to him. They were twins, their bond unbreakable. They had always been on the same side of everything; but now they opposed each other. In the sixteen years they had lived together, they had always had spats. They were siblings; spats were inevitable. But neither had ever hit the other.   
  
Tama looked down guiltily, hating the feeling, mostly because she thought she was right. Inuyasha was trying to fight the feeling of intense hurt he felt that his sister had hit him. The actual strike hadn't hurt so much as the knowing that she would hit him had.   
  
Tama glared at him darkly. "Do whatever the fuck you want to." With that she turned on her heel and stomped away.  
  
Inuyasha watched her retreating form, trying to be mad at her, but he couldn't. All he felt was hurt, and guilt, and anger, but not at Tama. He was mad at himself. Because he knew she was right.  
  
Tama was right. He *had* had that thought. Could he be with Kikyou? It had been out of his mind in a second, but it had been there. Inuyasha stared at the ground, his face hurt and confused. *Does that mean I still have feelings for Kikyou...?*   
  
He closed his eyes and buried his face in his forearms. *I don't. I know I don't. But it was guilt.. I feel so bad about it. Like I'm abandoning her... I can't do that, not when everything that happened was my fault... It's like running away...*  
  
He was going to end it. He wanted to end it. He had been prepared to do so today, to protect Kagome. If he had to kill Kikyou... he had actually been prepared to do it. But thinking back on it...   
  
Gods, could he do that?? Could he actually kill Kikyou? The woman he had once wanted to be with? The one he was going to give up everything that had ever meant to him just to be with? He was going to become a human for her and they would live out their lives together. He had loved her so much.   
  
And through her death and resurrection and the trials afterward, she had changed so much. She wasn't the Kikyou he had fallen in love with.   
  
But it was still her. Her face. Her feelings and her memories. Maybe not all of her feelings, because she had learned to hate him so much...  
  
"I can't... I can't kill her..." he admitted aloud, "If it came down to it, I wouldn't be able to do it..."  
  
"And I don't want you to."  
  
He started, and looked up at Kagome. She was standing at his side, hands folded behind her, her expression sad. She looked him in the eye. "I don't want you to kill Kikyou... you would resent me forever if I asked you to do that. Besides, Kikyou... she doesn't deserve that."  
  
Inuyasha stared. Kikyou had tried to kill Kagome, and not just in her amnesiac state. She had tried to kill her when she was still "Kikyou." But then Kagome had defended her, countless times. Today, she had defended her cause to Uramiko...  
  
*Why are you so forgiving?* he wondered, *Why do you forgive me, and her, when we've both hurt you so much...*  
  
Her voice brought him back to reality. "You know... I didn't mean to cause you and Tama-chan to fight..."  
  
He shrugged, looking back out over the grassy hills they sat on. "It's okay... we were just mad at each other... We'll work stuff out..." he mumbled, silently adding an, *I hope...* when he shut his mouth. After a long moment of silence Kagome sat down next to him, just out of arm's reach.   
  
Inuyasha looked at her, feeling a part of him wilt with disappointment inside. Her gesture seemed strangely symbolic. *Is that how you'll always be? Always just out of my reach? I love you so much Kagome... I wish you didn't have to be hurt by this...*  
  
He looked away, back out over the grass. "Are you mad...?" he asked softly, and Kagome shook her head. Her voice was clear as she spoke. "No, I'm not. I know that you feel guilty for what happened to Kikyou, and I can't help that."  
  
Her voice became even quieter, and she smiled bitterly. "But I also can't help how much I love you. So, until you can work things out with Kikyou..." she looked at him then. "You'll let me stay with you, won't you?"  
  
Inuyasha felt like he'd been slapped-- again. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?!" Kagome looked up at the night sky, at the many stars that glittering down at her. "We have to wait..."  
  
Inuyasha felt numb. "Huh?"  
  
She looked at him sadly. "Until we can be together." Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but found nothing to say. Why not? He wanted to disagree. But he couldn't. Because she was right.   
  
He shut his mouth. Then he looked away and said softly, "I'm sorry Kagome... I only wanted to tell you... when I knew we could be together, but..."  
  
"It's okay." She scooted closer and leaned her head against his shoulder and the hanyou bent his head, taking in the scent of her hair with one sniff. Kagome clasped his hand. "It'll stay the way it was before today. Before today, when I thought you loved Kikyou. Before today, when you told me you loved me. Before today, when we were just... friends."   
  
Just friends... Inuyasha's heart pained when she said that. He didn't want that! He wanted her, and he wanted to be with her. He couldn't bear this, he just couldn't. How would he be able to see her everyday, and not be able to hold her? Not be able to touch her, to kiss her? He clenched on her hand. "Kagome..."  
  
Her voice had a heavy tone of finality to it. "Until you end it with Kikyou, that's all we can be, Inuyasha."  
  
The silver-haired hanyou swallowed. Kagome looked up at him. He looked helpless, lost, heartbroken. He sounded absolutely miserable as he said softly, "I don't want to break up..."   
  
She nodded. "But... I'll wait for you."  
  
His face turned down towards her in surprise and she smiled softly. "This time… I know you're coming back to me when you're done with Kikyou. So I promise I'll wait."  
  
He stared at her, eyes wide. His eyes seemed to shake, he was filled with so much emotion. "You'll… wait for me...?" She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I waited before... I can wait a little longer."  
  
Inuyasha felt a strange kind of happiness welling up from inside the intense pain. Kagome wasn't going to leave him behind; she would stay. She would stay with him, and she would wait for him.   
  
He clasped her to his chest and rested his chin on her head, savoring the feel of her arms around his waist. It would be awhile before he would be able to hold her like this again…  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
jaki:: dark energy. Evil humans and youkai have this and they can expel it in dangerous amounts.  
  
shouki:: miasma; poisonous vapors  
  
Shinidamachuu:: Kikyou's blue soul-carrying bugs.  
  
kugutsu -- Naraku's other favorite hobby besides miasma: demon puppetry so you THINK you're messing with the real thing, but-- YER NOT~! Bwaa haa haa~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	9. In the Den of the Byouma

Chapter 9 revised (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: I own five import manga (5, 7, 9, 19 & 20) the Inuyasha Movie 2 OST, the Viz translation of #8, and Inuyasha domestic DVDs 4 and 5. However by no means does this mean I own Inuyasha~ (that was probably my most serious one yet my most sarcastic one in all nine chapters...)  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Four :: The Byouma  
  
Chapter Nine :: In the Den of the Byouma  
  
The morning sun shone brightly over the forests, setting the canopy aglow with reflected light from the dew on the trees. Kagome was riding her bicycle, leisurely riding alongside Miroku and Sango and chattering with Shippou who was sitting on the houshi's shoulder. The little fox kit had had a dream that was especially intriguing and Kagome was attempting to interpret it for him.  
  
Ahead, Tama was stomping along, arms folded. Inuyasha was tentatively following. He wanted to talk to his twin, to apologize (or get her to do it) but she was having none of it.   
  
He walked at her side for a long time, before he turned to look at her. She looked like him when he was throwing a tantrum, and he wondered if Kagome and the others had this much trouble with him.   
  
He was also trying to work out ways in his head to talk to her. After all, it had been a little over fifty years since he'd put up with his twin's tantrums, and he was a little out of shape on how to fix it.  
  
"How long are you gonna be mad at me?" he asked finally and she glared at him. "Until I'm finished being mad." Inuyasha sighed and folded his hands behind his head. After a long moment, Tama lowered her head, her long silver hair falling over her eyes and she whispered, "I'm sorry."  
  
Inuyasha looked at her. She looked sad and solemn. "I didn't think I had it in me...to hit you. And I shouldn've been in your business. You were right, I really have no right to blame you, or to tell you how you should feel."  
  
"It's okay... I was wrong too. I got mad just because you were worried about me." he said quietly, so lowly that only Tama would hear. He didn't need the others' teasing about him finally having apologized about something. It wasn't their business, but he had apologized tons of times to Tama. She was, after all, his twin sister. They had a bond closer than just their blood.  
  
Tama sighed. "I spent 50 years protecting you, ya know. Fifty years, while you were pinned to that tree, worrying about you and protecting you... And I changed. I got married, I had a child, and then I watched my husband grow old without me, and die... My daughter has also died. But when you woke up you hadn't changed at all... You're my link to my past."   
  
She looked at him, narrowing her eyes critically. "I got mad because I thought you were just using Kagome-chan as a link to your past... I hate to be hypocritical, but...it's really not good to hang onto history."  
  
Inuyasha looked at her, his eyes tracing over her form as he considered what she had told him. After a moment he slipped his hand into hers.   
  
"That's not the same, Tama..." he said softly, "I'm still here. I'm not your past; I'm here, and I always will be. Kikyou IS my past... And you're right, I should let her go." Tama lowered her eyes a bit and then glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Do you forgive me?"  
  
"Yeah." He grinned a bit stupidly. "What about me? You forgive me?"   
  
She laughed. "Of course."  
  
"So, are we going after Kikyou or not?" Tama asked, folding her arms behind her head as they walked, and Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't have any reason to. She'll be back."  
  
"What do you mean 'you have no reason to?' You have to finish it so you can make Kagome-chan your mate!" Inuyasha blushed bright red and slapped his hand over his sister's mouth. "ARE YOU CRAZY DON'T SAY THAT OUT LOUD!"  
  
"Well, it's not like I didn't hear EVERYTHING you guys said last night. My hearing's as good as yours," she teased and he snarled at her. "You can be a real bitch sometimes!"  
  
"Actually, I agree with you two." Inuyasha looked surprised as Tama pried his fingers off her face. "Kagome-chan was right. You can't waver between the two of them, Kagome and Kikyou. And until it's completely over with you and Kikyou, you and Kagome-chan can't be together. I thought you were just being a jackass yesterday, but it turns out you think more a lot than I remember you being capable of."   
  
She looked at him meaningfully. "But are you sure you can do that? I know how much you love her, and how much you want to BE with her, if you catch my drift. I know Kagome-chan was the one that said it, but you must've thought she was right, else you wouldn've agreed with her."  
  
Inuyasha blushed, but his face was part-determined, part-annoyed. "I'll just have to get over it. It'll hurt Kagome if she gives me all of herself, and I only give a part of myself. It's not fair to her. And I'm fucking tired of seeing her cry because of me."  
  
"You're sweeter than you look, you know that?"  
  
"Shaddap~!"  
  
"But seriously, what did you mean, you have no reason to?" Inuyasha stared vacantly at the horizon. "Kikyou's not herself. She doesn't remember me, or our past. It's not right to just abandon her while she's that way, but then, I can't end it because of that same reason. I dunno how I'll get her to remember, but that bitch Uramiko must have something to do with it." He lowered his head with a soft sigh. "Kagome understands though... And that makes me feel better..."  
  
"Meaning if she had fought it you might not have pursued it?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't really know... it's hard to proceed when you're stuck in the past, and if Kagome didn't understand that, I don't know what I would do."  
  
Tama just looked at him. After a moment she sighed. "Then where ARE we going?"  
  
"There's a village up ahead, Kagome said the Shikon shard's maybe three days' walk from it. We've been walking all this time so we'll rest in the village for a little while..."  
  
"Why rest, we have plenty of time to get a little further ahead..." Tama pressed and Inuyasha cowered. "No~~o thank you."  
  
She laughed out loud, grasping his arm playfully. "You're such a baby. It's because the new moon's coming up isn't it. You're taking your time so you don't have to fight on the day of the new moon."  
  
"Why else would I postpone looking for shards, idiot?" Tama laughed at him.  
  
~*~  
  
"Kyaa~!!!" A young girl with auburn hair covered her eyes, tears streaming from her eyes freely. She could hear the youkais' screeching as they attempted to break into her hole, to pull her out and eat her. She could smell the hunger on them. She backpedaled frantically, hiding further into her hole, crushing herself against the wall.  
  
*Please Gods make it go away. Make it stop, please Gods save me~~!*  
  
~*~  
  
"What the hell happened here....?" Inuyasha murmured, looking over the village and Kagome covered her mouth. "This is...."  
  
The stench of death and illness was thick in the air, and there were four or five corpses laid out in the streets. There were graves to the north end of the village, and it looked to be about fifty or sixty people buried there, not to mention the people Kagome noticed lying dead in their beds in the open windows of the huts.  
  
Most of the buildings were collapsed or run down, and several of the crops were dying. Miroku looked about, eyes wide. "I wonder if this village was looted by bandits??"  
  
"If it was, it was after the villagers died..." snarled both hanyous, and Inuyasha glanced back at the others. "They've been dead awhile."   
  
"More Shininikubuta?" Shippou wondered and Tama shook her head. "No way, the Shininikubuta eat their prey almost immediately after the decomposition spell takes effect. These people died normally..."  
  
"An epidemic then?" Sango inquired worriedly, putting a hand over her mouth and nose, and Miroku slipped his hand into hers reassuringly. Kagome went to Inuyasha, gripping his sleeve in her hands and he reached over, placing his hand on hers. Suddenly he caught a whiff of something and sniffed more carefully, trying to distinguish it. "I smell something living...!"  
  
Tama and Shippou caught it too and Shippou gasped. "Smells like me!"  
  
"Nope, doesn't stink as bad," Inuyasha teased, as he wandered the village, taking care to step over the bodies of the dead, until he came across one of the huts. There was a small niche between toppled firewood and the side of the house, just big enough for him to slip through.  
  
He knelt, shifting himself in on his haunches. His nose was overwhelmed by the scent of tears and utter fear. In the back he could see a pair of bright blue eyes, filled with tears. He gasped. "Hey, it's a kid..."  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" the girl screamed, lashing out with her hands and Inuyasha yelped as he stumbled back. The front of his haori slashed open, and he bared his fangs. "Hey, you bitchy little brat, I'm just trying to help--"  
  
"Inuyasha-sama, is that YOU??" asked an older voice, and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as something bounced up out of the girl's hair and onto the tip of Inuyasha's nose. It began to suck greedily and Inuyasha slapped himself in the face. As he pulled he hand away and the little flea pancake floated down, he growled the flea's name. "Myouga-jijii...."  
  
"Myouga-jii?? Wow, haven't seen that old man in awhile~" Tama said, leaning over Inuyasha's shoulder. Myouga popped himself into normal and gasped. "Tama-sama?~! It can't be--!?" He bounced over and landed on her forehead and started to suck away. Tama narrowed her eyes and plucked him off. "Cut that out."  
  
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Kagome called as she made her way over, and Inuyasha turned back. "Yeah I'm fine, but I think I need you for this one, Shippou..." Shippou looked startled. "Me?? Why?"  
  
"Because this kid in here's a kitsune."  
  
~*~  
  
"Her name is Tanpopo."  
  
Inuyasha sat across from Myouga as he explained the little girl, Kagome next to him. Miroku and Sango also sat nearby, and Tama leaned against the wall casually. The girl, Tanpopo, was out playing with Shippou in the forest, who had promised to call for help should anything come up.  
  
"Tanpopo's a kitsune as Inuyasha-sama said; her parents were kitsune, apparently very mischievous in personality, even by kitsune standards. But they protected this village, according to Tanpopo, and were not feared."  
  
"She's the only survivor?" Sango asked softly, and Myouga nodded. "The only one. Her mother is nowhere to be found, and her father was killed by the sickness that destroyed this village."  
  
"So it *was* a sickness, Myouga-jiichan?" Kagome repeated, "It wasn't a youkai attack." The flea nodded. "Oh, it was a youkai. It was a parasitic youkai, like myself, except much worse. As a flea I only suck blood. These youkai were strange. They came in two or three weeks ago, and attacked whomever they managed. Everyone who is now dead was bitten."  
  
"Myouga-jii, you have no idea what they are??" asked Tama, and the flea bobbed with a head shake.  
  
"No. As a parasite myself, I know most parasitic youkai, but this seemed to be a new breed of some kind. They were incredibly dangerous. However, the damage was not done over time. The byouma larvae attacked everyone and left shortly after. Once the last villager died, the adults returned. They seemed to be looking for something."  
  
"It's dangerous around here, then?" wondered Inuyasha, and Myouga shrugged. "Possibly... The youkai that were left were attempting to get Tanpopo, but she was hidden, exactly where you found her, Inuyasha-sama. They gave up, and left."  
  
"Then perhaps it is safe after all. These people need to be buried..." Miroku said and Inuyasha nodded. "I was thinking of that too," then he nodded again. "Alright then... Shippou can take care of the brat, he's good for that at least. C'mon Miroku, we've got work to do."  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you hungry? I can find you something to eat!" Shippou asked and Tanpopo glared at him. "I do fine on m'own." Shippou sighed. "You don't talk much, do ya? Are you mute?"  
  
This time she did look up, and she looked insulted. "I ain't mute, I speak jus' fine. What d'ya care, ya worm," she said roughly, "Who th' hell're you? Why'd you people com'ere?"  
  
"My name's Shippou." he said proudly, "We were passing through on a mission, and we were going to stay here for a few days... but I guess things were bad before we got here..."  
  
Tanpopo looked confused. "Two hanyous, a youkai an' three humans? What th' hell kinda mission got you six t'gether? Why are you, a full youkai, hanging out with the likes of those two hanyous and those... nasty humans...?"  
  
Shippou scratched his head. *She sounds worse than Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru...* "We're friends. We're demon exterminators, and we help people." *Even if it's usually Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Tama doing all the work...*  
  
The girl snorted. "You? A demon exterminator? Not only is that hypocritical 'n' downright cannibalistic, but ya dun look big enough t'scratch th' fleas off yer own back, much less 'xterm'nate demons."  
  
"You're a rude little girl, aren't you?" said Shippou and Tanpopo glared at him. "Besides, hanyous n' a youkai bein' friends with humans? How stupid are you people? M'parents made friends with the humans and look what they got. They turned on 'em like that." She snapped her fingers, her immature claws clacking when she did so.  
  
Shippou looked at her. "Not every human is the same. Kagome and Sango and Miroku are different."  
  
"What about them hanyous? Worthless dirt. Not human 'n' not--"  
  
"Don't talk about Inuyasha and Tama that way!" yelled Shippou, whirling on the other girl, even though Tanpopo was double his height. "Inuyasha's saved me more times than I can count! He's strong, and he may be a bit of a simpleton and he gets mad too easy, but-- he's my friend!"  
  
Tanpopo was silent for a moment and then she shrugged. "Do whatever. Jus' dun be surprised if those humans betray ya."  
  
Shippou stared after her as she left, clenching a fist. *She's wrong!! Kagome and the others, they would never leave me behind!!*  
  
"Kyaaa~~!"   
  
Shippou yelped suddenly when he heard Tanpopo scream, and he raced forward to catch up with her. In front of them stood a large wormlike youkai with millions upon millions of thin toothpick-like legs. It was an off-purple, almost blackish, with yellow globelike eyes.   
  
It opened a wide mouth that showed three or four rows of six-inch long teeth that were as thin as their legs, and sharp as knives, Shippou imagined. But he noticed a tiny hole at the end of each tooth in the middle row. They seemed almost hollow, like a thin, tiny reed. *They're not for biting...??*  
  
The youkai slammed down mouth first, and Shippou yelped, whipping out four leaves. He tossed them, and all four turned into fake Shippou's. The youkai, now having to deal with multiple targets, started thrashing and body-slamming the four while the real Shippou grabbed Tanpopo's hand. "Let's get back to camp~! Inuyasha and the others can take care of this!!"  
  
Tanpopo snarled as Shippou dragged her through the forest back to the decimated village. "Yer a youkai, dun rely on hanyous 'n' humans!"  
  
"GET OFF THAT WILL YA?!! I'm just a kitsune, whaddaya want me to do, trick him to death?! Let's go!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha pulled the last of the villagers into the row he had created. There were only sixteen; five in the streets and the other eleven had died in bed. In all there had been maybe five or six families. Relatively, it was a tiny village, but to be so blatantly protected by a pair of kitsune...  
  
"Inuyasha~a~a~~~ Help us!!!"  
  
At Shippou's cry, Inuyasha's ears perked up and he turned, his eyes scanning the forest for where the kitsune kit would appear. Nearby, Miroku also noticed as Shippou came tearing out of the trees, Tanpopo looking angry as she was dragged by the smaller kitsune towards the village ruins--  
  
--and right behind them came a huge worm, slithering up behind them. He let out a loud cry, a sssssshrrrrk sound, and Inuyasha grimaced. "Oh shit~!" He dove in and grabbed the kitsune kits, bounding to safety quickly. As he did he looked at Tanpopo.  
  
"Hey brat, are those the byouma?!"  
  
"What the hell do you think?!" growled Tanpopo, "And I'm not a brat, I'm Tanpopo!"  
  
Inuyasha set the kits down away from the forest edge and went back in, drawing Tessaiga. He slashed at the youkai and it screeched, falling back into two pieces. Inuyasha shouldered Tessaiga. "That was way too easy--"  
  
Inuyasha stopped short as he heard earth breaking under the ground surface. He looked at the ground as it moved, as if something dug underneath. He gasped, and ran for Shippou and Tanpopo, who were in the direct line of fire. As he reached them, he shoved the kits aside. "Move!!"   
  
Not seconds after Shippou was out of the way, a second youkai worm broke through the ground, lurching high into the air with Inuyasha in its jaws. Shippou yelped. "Inuyasha~!!!"   
  
The youkai bit down and Inuyasha groaned, struggling against the rows of teeth. He jammed Tessaiga into one of the worm's globe eyes, but it just screeched and bit down harder and Inuyasha cried out.   
  
Kagome fired off three arrows as she ran from the hut. The three paralyzed the youkai, which screeched in agony and released the hanyou is held in its jaws. Inuyasha fell to earth hard and rolled out of sight behind a collapsed building.  
  
Sango ran up from behind Kagome and cast Hiraikotsu, and the boomerang struck true, slicing the youkai in half the first time around and rebounding to quarter it on the return trip.  
  
Kagome followed Shippou, who was leaping and bounding over lumps of flesh, calling out for Inuyasha. "Inuyasha!! Inuyasha!! Are you okay?! Where are you?!!"  
  
Kagome clambered over a piece of worm and saw Inuyasha lying on the ground, blood flowing freely from his wounds. Tessaiga was still clasped in his hand, except the demon sword had transformed back to its normal state. Inuyasha's eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. She gasped. "Inuyasha?~!"  
  
"He's alive, just unconscious," Shippou said, and Miroku and Sango hacked a pathway through the lumps of flesh, so that Miroku could carry Inuyasha back. As they headed back, Tanpopo watched them. "Why did he do that? He got hurt."  
  
"Because..." Kagome began, looking back at Tanpopo in puzzlement, "Inuyasha cares about Shippou. He wanted to save him. And... he wanted to save you too."  
  
"But..." Tanpopo began to rant, but she decided she'd rather not. Instead as she watched them head back towards the remaining building, she narrowed her eyes, thinking about the group. *What's wrong with them? They're defyin' all rules by bein' together...*  
  
~*~  
  
The first thing he heard was his sister's voice.   
  
"Hey, he's waking up!"  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes weakly. Kagome was leaning over him, gently brushing back the hair from his face, and his sister was nearby. Shippou's little blue eyes peered at him. "Inuyasha???"  
  
"What, brat?"  
  
"INUYASHA~~~~~~" Shippou latched onto the dog demon's neck, wailing loudly, and Inuyasha folded his ears back reflexively, wincing. "No squealing in the ears..."  
  
"I thought you were gonna die!!!! And it woulda been my fault cause you were saving me!!!"  
  
Inuyasha pried Shippou off his neck and dropped the fox onto the ground roughly. "Are you serious?? That simple little-- ow...." Kagome laughed. "Stop with the tough act and don't move around so much, you're still hurt. Just rest."  
  
"It doesn't hurt that bad, just..." Inuyasha rubbed one hand over his heart. "Just hard to catch my breath is all... It's hot in here..."  
  
Kagome glanced at the others, who all shrugged and Sango mouthed, 'not hot to me.' Kagome turned back to the hanyou, who looked a little red in the face. "Inuyasha it's fine, don't worry. Just go to sleep, okay?"  
  
"But it's not even dark yet," he whined, "We have plenty of time to go on to the next village." She didn't look convinced. "Are you sure you're feeling up to it?" she asked and he pulled on his haori, looking at her in annoyance. "I'm fine!"  
  
"O-okay..."  
  
They were ready to head out within minutes; Inuyasha as usual ahead of everyone. Kagome rode her bicycle alongside Sango and Miroku as usual, chatting with Shippou. Tanpopo was invited to come and even though she declined traveling with them, she had to go in the same direction as they to reach her relatives' home in the north, and so she followed.  
  
Actually her 'following to catch up with her relatives' was an outright lie. She was intrigued by the group. There was Inuyasha and Tama, the set of hanyou twins; Shippou the fox-youkai; Kirara the cat-youkai; and Kagome, Sango and Miroku, the three humans. What bound these people together? Tanpopo simply could not figure them out.  
  
She was determined not to leave them until she had.  
  
~*~  
  
"There, are you happy?? We made it." Kagome croaked, exhausted from the trip.   
  
The next village had been farther than they'd first thought, and it had taken the rest of the day to get there. It was so late the villagers would probably never let them in without a huge inquiry as to who they were and what were they doing out at 10 pm, and everyone was blaming it in Inuyasha. Instead of his usual antics, he was taking it rather well, which was of course cause for concern.  
  
Kagome looked at the hanyou, calling his name for a third time. "Inuyasha??"  
  
"Hn..?" he mumbled, looking up at her suddenly, as if he'd only then noticed she was there. Kagome frowned. There was something wrong with his eyes. They had lost their brightness, their vigor. His face was a little pale, and sweat beaded his forehead and upper lip. He was panting, as if he'd run for quite a while.   
  
"Are you alright??" she asked, rubbing his back, and he shook his head. "Dunno.. I can't.. seem to.. catch my breath." That in itself was a bad signal; if he wasn't telling her off, there was definitely something wrong, because Kagome was sure that even sick, the hanyou would have something to snap about.  
  
"You don't look so good, Inuyasha..." Shippou noticed from the handlebar-basket he was sitting in, and the hanyou swallowed painfully, his hand reaching up to clutch at the fabric over his heart. "My chest... hurts..."  
  
Kagome snapped awake at that. "What~?"   
  
But before she could get anything else out of the hanyou, he'd fainted. She reached out and caught him as he fell against her, and his head caught on her shoulder. She could feel the heat rising off him with just his face at her neck, and slowly she lowered herself to her knees, twisting Inuyasha so he rested on her lap, his head lolling in the nook her elbow created as she held his shoulders. Noticing the situation, everyone ran to catch up with them. Myouga bounced over first. "What happened to Inuyasha-sama?!"  
  
"I don't know, he just fainted!" Carefully holding him up, she pressed the back of her hand against his cheek to confirm what she had thought and gulped when she had. She looked up at Miroku and the others. "He has a fever..."  
  
"Oh Gods..." Sango murmured, and Kagome looked down at Inuyasha. He shifted in her arms, moaning softly, his face contorting in pain. Kagome gripped his shoulders tighter, leaning over him worriedly.  
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
byouma:: made up of 'byou' (sick, ill) and 'ma' (demon, evil spirit) it translates to "sickness demon"  
  
Tanpopo:: dandelion  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	10. TouSanDou Eastern Mountain Route

Chapter 10 revised (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: I own Tama, Tanpopo and Kitsuko~ I WISH I owned Inuyasha (in all his wondrous forms, 'specially his kawai~i human form~ yum) Sesshoumaru, Naraku, Miroku, (Gosh I'm greedy when it comes to the bishies, ain't I?? ;p Don't worry I would share, unlike Takahashi-sama~~;p j/k RT-sama~)  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Four :: The Byouma  
  
Chapter Ten :: Tou-san-dou (Eastern Mountain Route)  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly.   
  
The first thing he felt was a sharp pain in his skull, starting at the base and spreading throughout his brain. His sight was blurry and his head fogged, like he couldn't quite think straight. He felt as though he'd been slammed in the back of the head and been unconscious for days. Once he managed to get his bearings, he looked around the room.  
  
He was alone, lying on a pallet of straw, his haori draped across his body. Hiraikotsu and Kagome's bow and quiver were laid in the corner. There was a fire in the floor-hearth, but it was barely crackling.  
  
Inuyasha sat up, but immediately felt that that was the last thing he should've done, because when he did a stabbing pain throbbed in his chest, so much so that he almost cried out. He gripped a hand over his heart, willing it to stop.   
  
It didn't.  
  
Instead it worsened, burning hot in his chest. His heart was on fire, pumping liquid flame through his body, and it felt like someone had taken hold of both lungs and was slowly squeezing. Everytime he exhaled it seemed to get tighter and even harder to breathe than the time before. With every heartbeat the pain strengthened, and it took everything in him to breathe. Inuyasha gasped, his mouth working in a silent plea. ...Someone... someone please...  
  
"Inuyasha?!"  
  
It was Kagome. He knew her voice, and her scent.   
  
There was a loud noise as several heavy things clattered to the floor, and the thud of her feet as she came to him. Her arm slipped around him, and her hand pressed against his face. Her hands were so soft and cool against his hot skin; he gasped again, a soft cry escaping his lips, and Kagome leaned forward, whispered against his ear, "Hang in there, it's almost over. You're gonna be okay, hang in there..."  
  
After a several long moments the pain began to subside. Minutes passed before he could breathe again, and when he finally could, Inuyasha opened his eyes, blinking up at Kagome, who was crying above him. He realized he was on her lap, and she was cradling his head, stroking his ears soothingly.   
  
He scanned the room again. She had gone to get firewood. Those were the things she had dropped running to him. He looked back at her, panting. "Kagome.. what happened to me...??"  
  
"Y... You're sick," she said softly, wiping her eyes, "When that youkai bit you, it passed you the illness..." Her hand rubbed his chest gently through his white yukata, and he smirked bitterly. "Same one as those villagers, huh?" She nodded and he closed his eyes. "Hmph. Guess I'm gonna die then, huh?"  
  
"No!" she snapped. "I won't let you. There's a youkai healer in Kouzuke, and we're taking you tomorrow. I don't know yet what she wants us to do, but I WILL save you," she said defiantly. Inuyasha looked at her a bit skeptically, and she faltered, leaning forward and burying her face in the white fabric over him. "I can't lose you... not forever... I can't bear it if you leave me."  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes, combing through Kagome's hair with his claws. "Kagome..."  
  
"You promised me. You said you would never leave my side again... You haven't left me yet... don't leave me now...!"  
  
Inuyasha caught his breath. He remembered that. Right after that damned baby of Naraku's had tried to use Kagome, he had promised he would never leave her side. He had always broken his promises to her; he didn't want to add another to the list.   
  
He patted her hair, still combing through the soft tresses with his claws. "Okay. I won't leave you. I'm still here. As long as I am, I won't let this stupid thing get me." She pulled away a bit and Inuyasha grinned at her weakly. "I won't die yet."   
  
He shifted on her lap, reaching up to put one arm around her waist, and he sighed deeply. "But stay with me... your scent... helps me sleep.."  
  
She swallowed, blushing, before she pulled out of his grasp. His eyes snapped open, looking at her in confusion. He tried to mask the mild hurt he felt when she pulled away from him, only to catch his breath when she lay down next to him. He watched her, a little embarrassed as she took his arms, firmly wrapping them around her. Then she slipped her arms over his waist and snuggled her face against his warm chest.   
  
She glanced up for a moment, smiled at him reassuringly before raising her hand and gently pulling the hair from his sweat-slicked brow. "Go to sleep; I'll be here with you until you do." He looked at her in wonder, his face closely resembling a little boy's, and then nodded and nestled his head comfortably against her arm and closed his eyes.  
  
Within moments he was asleep.  
  
Kagome watched him as he slept. This was as close as she had ever been to him in his sleep. He had fallen asleep at her house a few weeks ago, at the foot of her bed, and it was the most peaceful expression she had ever seen on him to that date.   
  
It still was, considering he was ill now, and his entire body probably hurt. He was calm, but every so often his eyebrows would narrow, and his frown would deepen. Sometimes he would moan, but she just held him tighter. *I won't let you go... I swear, I won't let you go.*  
  
"Did he wake up at all?" asked a soft voice and Kagome looked through the dark at Tama. Inuyasha's twin was worried herself, but it showed a bit less. Kagome smiled softly, "For a little bit."  
  
"Was he in pain?" asked Tama worriedly and Kagome nodded. "A little, but it passed."  
  
Tama came to them and sat down at Inuyasha's head, stroking his hair. For a moment she rested her hand on his forehead before glancing at Kagome. "His fever's gone up."  
  
"I know," the teenager sighed, "I can't get it to cool off... I was looking for fever-reducing herbs while I was getting firewood... Can't find any."  
  
"I've never seen Inuyasha like this... It can happen, but usually youkai don't get sick, not even hanyou... I can't stand seeing him in so much pain..." She looked up at Kagome, looking reproachful of herself. "Here I am babbling about what I feel like… it must be even worse for you... How are you holding up?"  
  
"I'm okay. I have hope. I told him, when he was awake, about Kitsuko." Tama nodded. "It's a damn good thing Sango-chan knew about her," the hanyou said, leaned back against the wall, "Without this 'Kitsuko' he may really--"  
  
"Don't think that way." Kagome looked at her angrily. "You can't even THINK that thought. You have to stay optimistic."  
  
"I would rather prepare for the worst than be ridiculously optimistic and have my heart broken if it does happen." Tama said, and looked at Kagome. "Inuyasha's dying. You must know that, Kagome-chan."  
  
"I do. But I don't believe it. I won't believe it. ......Of course I know it, but I also know that Inuyasha knows it. But if he loses faith in himself, he WILL lose. At least if I believe he can do it, he can try to believe in himself."  
  
Tama looked away silently, shaking her head. In Kagome's arms, Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.   
  
It was a bit hard to do, having heard everything the girls had said. As he drifted back to sleep, he made a silent promise to the woman he loved. *Kagome... I'll try...*  
  
~*~  
  
"Kagome, how's Inuyasha?!" Shippou demanded, ripping aside the bamboo-weave curtain/door, and gawped when he saw said hanyou sitting up, dressing. Inuyasha grinned at him. "I'm doing okay right now, Shippou."  
  
"INUYASHA~!" Shippou hugged the front of Inuyasha's haori, his eyes streaming with tears, and the hanyou grimaced. "What's the matter with you??"  
  
"We were all very worried, Inuyasha." Miroku said as he and Sango followed the fox kit in. They had noticed the dog-demon's weak stature. He was sagging a bit, as if he were very tired, and his face was leaner than normal, and very ashen. His grin had been much weakened, but at least it had been geniune.   
  
The hanyou shrugged at their concern. "I'm too tough for some stupid sickness," he declared. Almost as quickly as the words were out of his mouth he felt a sharp pang in his chest. Hissing in pain, Inuyasha doubled over and grabbed a fistful of his haori in his claws, trying to bear it until it passed as he knew it eventually would.  
  
Eventually.  
  
Both Miroku and Sango went forward to help, but the inuyoukai held up his free hand and snarled, "Stay back! ......Leave me alone!" Startled, the houshi and the taijiya stepped back, and Inuyasha clenched that same hand, breathing very heavily. Miroku thought he heard him say, "...I can handle this..."  
  
Sango, determined, set her shoulders and went forward again, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly, "Inuyasha, you're not ready. Lie back down and rest--" Inuyasha brushed off her hand and forced himself to stand to full height, looking a bit paler than he had a moment before, sweat trickling down his face. "I'll rest... when I need it," he huffed, "It's not bad yet."  
  
Miroku and Sango looked taken aback. *'Not bad yet?'* they both thought.  
  
Behind them Sango noticed Kagome. She was watching with a troubled expression, but she said nothing. Sango saw her friend take a deep breath and then the girl from the future plastered on a huge fake smile. Sango hated seeing that look, and she started to say something before Kagome flounced past her. "Hey Inuyasha! Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Y-yeah," he said with a smile, yet another genuine one, and she slipped her hand into his. "Okay, come on." She gave him a soft tug, and they slowly walked out. Shippou jumped up onto the houshi's shoulder. "What was that horrible look on Kagome's face??"  
  
"She was faking it." Sango replied, and Miroku frowned. "I don't like this. Kagome-sama is not herself this way."  
  
"She's doing it for Inuyasha." Tama said softly, walking up from behind them, and Miroku blinked, "What?" Tama looked a bit sorrowful. "Didn't you see the way he lit up when she came in the room that way? If she had come in with a sad look, he would've snapped at her the same way he snapped at you."  
  
"You mean he's acting like that because we're treating him like he's weak?" Sango asked, and Tama sighed. "That's my brother for you... Right now he thinks he's weak. If you do anything to make him feel like he's right, in this case, you won't get pretty results."  
  
"What if he strains himself? He could get worse," Shippou remarked, and Tama shrugged. Before she could say anything, Kagome popped her head back in. "He~ey, Sango-chan, we need at least YOU to help us get to Kitsuko's! Guys, get your rear in gear!"  
  
"Y-yeah, we're coming."  
  
~*~  
  
In a back room of a large shrine, Torou laughed. Across from him, his grandmother sat at the other end of the table, her face blank.  
  
Torou folded his arms over his chest and raised one eyebrow. "I tho~~~ught you said 'Kikyou could do it better' and I had only managed to ... what was it, oh yeah-- 'appear foolish.'" the boy snarled and Uramiko gave him a death glare. "Keep smarting off like that and the rest of the youkai world WILL see how foolish you were when I decapitate your cheeky little ass and stick your head on a stick outside of the temple."  
  
Torou silenced, and his grandmother sighed. "Whether or not you were foolish matters not any longer because you seemed to have redeemed yourself with the centipede youkai. Inuyasha has taken ill."  
  
Torou looked surprised, but inside he was whooping for joy. *So the hanyou has been brought down by my mukade-byou's poison? Hmph. Grandmother may finally realize I have some use; I trained those centipede myself and that they have taken down the leader on the first try... Good work, Torou-sama!*  
  
"However," he heard her break in, "Inuyasha's friends are taking him to Kitsuko."   
  
Torou knew she had realized he was partying it up in his head, and she had deliberately thrown water on it to calm him, but listened carefully. He had been given another chance, and he would not mess it up this time. "Kitsuko? The mountain witch in Kouzuke? The demon healer?"  
  
"Yes, the woman who betrayed me 200 years ago."  
  
Torou scoffed, "I doubt she'll be able to do anything; her home in Kouzuke is too far from where they presently are, it will take at least two more days to reach them. In two days, the moon will blacken. Inuyasha is weak on the first day of the month, remember?"  
  
"Yes, I know. In his human form he may be weakened beyond compare and the poison may kill him then. However I do not accept 'may.' Get out there and finish them off."  
  
Torou pouted like the spoiled child he was and stomped away, and as soon as he was out of earshot, Uramiko exhaled deeply. She did not even turn when she said aloud, "My dear Kikyou..."  
  
Behind her, Kikyou appeared, with the same dark and cold smile she had when she was first resurrected by Urasue. Her eyes had turned red, the same as Uramiko's. "Hai, Uramiko-sama."  
  
"Stay in the shadows, my dear. We shall test your new strength later. But for now simply keep an eye on my foolish grandson."  
  
"Hai... Uramiko-sama."  
  
~*~  
  
"Inuyasha, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine," the inuhanyou wheezed, closing his eyes as he fought another wave of pain. Kagome closed her eyes also, counting to ten, trying to keep her head on. If she blew up at him for struggling he would probably get angry with her.  
  
She heard him gasp softly and she was off the bike in seconds to catch him the moment his knees gave out. Inuyasha was fighting it, she could see it on his pallid face, and she pressed her lips together to keep from crying. Instead she focused everything on him, and held him tighter. "Hang in there, you're doing really good."  
  
The others, she noticed, were keeping their distance, lest they get too close and get snapped at by the hanyou. Kagome said nothing to them. She knew they were worried, but they would never get to Kitsuko's if they had to keep stopping so Inuyasha could rest. Inuyasha knew it too, which was why he was trying so hard. She just wished he wasn't in this mess to begin with. Then he wouldn't have to suffer so.  
  
The attack was slowing, she could tell by the way he was breathing. He stood shakily, and she supported him, one arm around his ribs, the other on his chest until he regained his footing. "Are you okay?"  
  
"U..Uh-huh," he managed, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, and he looked like he might faint again. Kagome nodded. "Are your legs tired? Do you want to ride on the back of my bike?"  
  
"No, I'm fine. It's just getting a bit harder to see." Kagome frowned at that. *Getting harder to see...?* She nodded nevertheless and got back on her bike. She rode next to him for awhile, watching him. His gold eyes were losing their luster, and she noticed that slowly, they were glazing over. He squinted more often, as though the blazing bright sun overhead was still not enough light to see.  
  
When they stopped for a bit of rest, Inuyasha fell asleep. Taking the opportunity, Kagome pulled Tanpopo aside, who was still with them. "Tanpopo-chan?"  
  
"What." said the girl rudely, but Kagome ignored the coarse tone and asked, "In your village, did any of the people there lose their sight?"  
  
Tanpopo looked surprised. "How'd you know?" Then she gasped as the realization came over her. "Oh, that hanyou is going blind now, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes, I think he is." Kagome said fretfully, "Tell me everything else that happened to the people who became ill, please? So I know what to expect."  
  
Tanpopo didn't like humans much, but Kagome was being honest with her worries, so the least Tanpopo could do was be honest back; it wasn't like she was cruel or anything. "They lost their sight, and their hearing."  
  
Kagome looked shocked. Inuyasha would go blind AND deaf? How would she tell him? It would be cruel not to let him know what was happening to his body, but how in God's name would she tell him that?  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Kagome jumped slightly, hearing the young fox kit say that. Tanpopo looked away. "I still dun like you, or any of th' others. I'm just sorry ya gotta see th' man ya love die, th' way m'Okaan hadta watch m'Oyaji die..."  
  
Kagome looked at her for a long moment. Then she smiled genuinely before she said, "Thank you Tanpopo-chan."  
  
~*~  
  
"We're close!" Sango breathed in happily, and she looked over the large mountains that were known as Kitsuko's domain.  
  
She turned back to look at Inuyasha. The hanyou was riding Kirara, sitting just behind Kagome. He had taken a turn for the worse the night before, coughing up blood now. He was both blind and deaf now, and had within the last few hours, mentioned he was losing feeling in his limbs.   
  
Because of it, now everyone including Kagome, insisted he ride Kirara instead of any more walking. Inuyasha was too weak to argue and conceded without much of a fuss, except that he wanted Kagome to ride with him, and it had been that way now for the entire day.   
  
The sun was setting, and he even looked worse, hunched over, his forehead resting on Kagome's shoulder. He was breathing heavily, and seeing him, looking as if he might leave them that very moment, spurred Sango on. She looked at Tama. "He's getting worse with every minute that passes... How did those humans stand this...?!"  
  
Tama looked helplessly at Sango. "If Inuyasha was a full demon, he would be able to handle it a bit better. But he's only a hanyou. And..."  
  
"And..?" the taijiya pressed.  
  
Tama winced, her narrow eyes looking grim. "And he's weakening. It's the first day of the month," she said gravely. Sango gasped. "Oh... You mean then, if Inuyasha makes the transformation to human--"  
  
"As a human he will deteriorate quicker, and his lifespan will be shortened." Sango looked determined, and then she turned, looking at Kirara. "Kirara, fly ahead to Kitsuko's!!"  
  
The cat youkai leapt into the air obediently, and Kagome yelped, grabbing ahold of Kirara's fur, and reaching around to steady Inuyasha, whose blind eyes widened in surprise and confusion, darting around seemingly in a panic. Kagome glanced back down at Sango. "Sango-chan.. wha??"  
  
"Kirara is faster in the air! Just.. go, we'll catch up!" Sango nodded. "Okay Tama-chan, follow Kirara!"  
  
"You got it!"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
Tama stopped as a huge hand came from the sky and knocked Kirara away, and the cat hit the ground hard. Inuyasha and Kagome flew out of sight. Tama gasped. "INUYASHA!! KAGOME-CHAN!"  
  
A huge oni appeared, and on the shoulder, Torou sat with a wide grin. "Well, well, Inuyasha, it seems that you death stares in the face. Pity you can't see it."  
  
Tama growled low in her throat. "Torou..."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
Okay~~ Tessen, signing out~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	11. Kitsuko

Chapter 11 revised (2.7.04)^-^  
  
Disclaimer: ::huggles her website:: I own this~~~ See, there's a little passage on it that says "all rights reserved"!!! "copyright ME 2003!!!" ......What...? ..........Oh, Inuyasha? I don't own that.  
  
^-^ Here's chapter eleven.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Four :: The Byouma  
  
Chapter Eleven :: Kitsuko  
  
Tama snarled. "Dammit, Torou....! You fucking bastard!!"  
  
He smirked. "Were you pleased with the results of my mukade-byous' work? I was! My grandmother Uramiko told me how well Inuyasha took to their poison~ it pleases an artist so much, to see another enjoy his work so much."  
  
"YOU BASTARD!" Tama leapt up and slashed at Torou, and the boy leapt off his oni. "Ah-ah!" he reprimanded, "That's not very nice!" He floated to the earth lightly, and rushed Tama, who stumbled back, surprised by his speed. *Fast little bastard~*  
  
She spun to block his hand, and then swung her leg, catching the back of his head. Torou snarled in response, and swiped at the hanyou girl with his left hand. Tama yelped, barely able to dodge. Torou did catch the side of her hi-nezumi kimono though, and the red rat hair sizzled. She grit her teeth. *Poison claws, huh? Sorta like Ani-ue... AND ME~!*  
  
"Dokka Tessou~!" Tama punched through Torou and the boy gasped, and Tama ripped her hand back out, but not before Torou grabbed her hands and dug his claws in. Tama growled, ignoring the pain, and brought her knee up sharply, clipping Torou's chin. His head snapped back and Tama pulled away, clutching her injured arm.  
  
Sango went to her, "Tama-chan, your poison didn't affect him at all!" Torou snorted with laughter. "Damn straight it didn't... After all I'm a full youkai, and she's just a hanyou."  
  
Tama snarled.   
  
After a moment, she stood to her full height, her head high, her voice angry but vaguely proud. "I may be nothing but a fucking hanyou, but I AM the daughter of the Lord of the Western lands, Inutaisho-sama! Even if I only have half his blood.." She charged Torou again, "IT'LL STILL BE ENOUGH TO WASTE YOU!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha struggled to his hands and knees. Carefully he felt around for Kagome, not able to see her or hear her. But he still had his nose. He caught her scent of honey and plumeria, and went that direction, getting to his feet with a great effort. He made his way wearily and painfully, his body still hurting greatly.  
  
He felt faint suddenly and swayed, his knees buckling without much of a fight. Another coughing fit racked his body and Inuyasha leaned heavily against a tree. The coppery scent of his blood wafted under his nose and he spat, despising the taste of it in his mouth. He clenched a fist, digging his claws into the tree bark.  
  
"Dammit," he mumbled, "I'm gonna fucking die now, aren't I....?" Angrily he stared up blankly at the sky. "Can't you give me a goddamned break!!?!! I'm trying as hard as I fucking can!!!!"  
  
He sank into despair, huddling into a ball, wishing it would just end. He didn't care how; he just wanted the pain to stop, and he hated feeling that way. *Goddamn it all... Goddamn it!*   
  
Suddenly he smelled something else, someONE else. He felt a soft hand touched his face, and the hand wiped the wetness that it found there away. Inuyasha sniffled, and was thankful for a moment he couldn't hear how pathetic he sounded, or see the person's pitying face.   
  
The woman's pitying face. It was a woman who was with him. She smelled of lilac and the mountain air that was surrounding the ill hanyou. And then she hugged his shoulders, and Inuyasha gasped. She was so warm, so soft; he could feel the determination, the faith, the pure strength emanating off her. Even without words he understood her.   
  
Don't give up.  
  
Inuyasha felt warm everywhere, and the pain started to fade. He sighed softly, welcoming the reprieve from the agony he had suffered presently for three days. And then he HEARD something. He hadn't heard anything for an entire day.  
  
"Are you alright now? You're feeling a bit better?" asked the soft voice of a young woman. He opened his eyes, but still saw nothing except black. "I can hear again, but... I still can't see."  
  
She sounded disappointed. "I see. You are worse off than I first thought. Well, I have herbs in my home that will heal your sight; let me take you to my house."  
  
Inuyasha gasped suddenly, realizing who this woman was. "You're Kitsuko, aren't you?! The mountain witch who can heal youkai?!"  
  
"Yes, I am." A soft chuckle. She didn't SOUND like a witch. She sounded more like... "Kagome! Where is she??!!" Inuyasha panicked. Kitsuko, the witch, held him down firmly. "Don't move. There was a girl who was with you?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "Yes, and my friends... Miroku, and my sister and Sango..."  
  
"Sango?!!" Kitsuko sounded pleased. "Little Sango-chan?? Oh, she's come to see me, has she? Well, I heard some trouble a little ways away. You stay here, I will return to get you."  
  
"Wait, I~!"  
  
But she was gone as quickly as she had come. Inuyasha stood. "Fuck staying here, I gotta find Kagome."  
  
~*~  
  
Further into the forest, Torou was continuing his assault on Sango, Tama and Miroku. Miroku threw an o-fuda, and it landed on Torou's arm. It began to sizzle, and Torou winced. "Damned houshi~!"  
  
He flashed out a hand, and jaki flashed around his hand before shooting directly for Miroku. The houshi lifted up a barrier, and Torou grinned. "You're more resourceful than I thought."  
  
"Miroku-sama, are you alright?!" Sango called and Miroku called out an affirmative before blocking another attack from Torou.  
  
Tanpopo, Myouga and Shippou were huddled under a tree nearby, watching the battle in safety. "Dammit... this is what happens when you get tied up with worthless dirt like hanyous and humans." Tanpopo snarled, and Shippou glared at her. "Hey you, Inuyasha's sick because he saved me and YOU too!! If you didn't feel bad about it, why would you have followed us for three days!?!"  
  
Tanpopo blushed and her bottom lip shook as she attempted to cover that up. "I DON'T feel bad! That damned hanyou should've minded his own business!!"  
  
CRASH~! The ground shook beneath them and Tanpopo squealed, latching onto Shippou. "Shippou, save me!!"  
  
"Save YOU?? I was gonna ask you the same thing!!" the other fox kit yelped, clutching Tanpopo as tightly as she was on him.  
  
Tama growled angrily. "Dammit! If we don't get Inuyasha to Kitsuko's he's going to die...!!" Torou smirked bitterly. "Life's not fair, is it? I was born a worthless, underappreciated grandson of Uramiko, and you were born a worthless, underappreciated hanyou."  
  
"DON'T COMPARE ME TO YOU, YOU LOWLIFE BASTARD!!" Tama charged again, only to be knocked back again. Torou raised his hand over his head, and a huge ball of jaki swelled over him. Sango caught her breath. "Damn, with something that size, we can't block~!"  
  
"Dammit!" Tama growled, and Torou threw it. They cringed, waiting for the impact-- that didn't come.  
  
Tama opened one eye and saw a young woman, a little older than herself, standing with her hands raised. She had long black hair, cut like Sango's, but pulled back like Kikyou's had been, tied off at three points. She was wearing a dark blue cotton kimono with a pink flower print, and a simple white haori over it. She was also barefoot.   
  
Also, something rather obvious-- her ears were pointed. She was a youkai.  
  
Torou snarled. "Wench, you'll regret that!!"  
  
"I think not, little boy..." the woman said, gesturing to Torou's side, and he gasped. His left arm and shoulder were GONE. The oni he'd brought with him had been dusted completely. The woman had reflected it and HE had taken the hit.   
  
The witch-girl grinned. "Go home and tell your grandmother Uramiko that I will NOT have you on my mountain again!! That bitch doesn't understand, I don't work for anyone!!"  
  
"Bitch, you'll pay! When I return...!" And Torou vanished into thin air.  
  
The group stared for a long moment and when they finally spoke, it was Sango, her face twisted into a happy grin. "Kitsuko-san!!"  
  
Tama and Miroku gawped. "That's..."  
  
"Kitsuko?" Miroku asked, and Sango nodded. Tama put a hand to her forehead. *And here I was expecting some old babaa whose eyes were lost under the folds of skin...*  
  
Miroku was by Kitsuko in a second, and he grinned down at her. "Hey there, miss," he said, fondling the witch's ass, and Kitsuko raised an eyebrow. "Ahem. Houshi-sama, you can move your hand, or you can lose it."  
  
Miroku snatched his hand away, only to be knocked in the head by Sango's Hiraikotsu. "Miroku-sama~!" she chided, and the houshi rubbed his head, laughing nervously. "Sorry, it was just a reflex..."  
  
Sango quickly turned from admonishing her sukebe boyfriend to hug the woman. "Kitsuko-san, I'm so glad to see you! It's been so long!" Kitsuko smiled. "It has. How long has it been since I've seen you? I think Kohaku-kun was only... a few months old? You were about six, were you not? I don't think you let go of Kirara the entire time you were here last."   
  
Sango smiled, despite the reference to her missing brother. "No, I didn't." She snapped to suddenly at the mention of her cat, and gasped. "Aah! Kirara, Kagome-chan and Inuyasha!"  
  
"Inuyasha? The ill hanyou?" Kitsuko asked, and they nodded. The witch smiled. "He is fine. He is still in danger, as I was not able to heal him completely... but he is not on the verge of death as he was when I found him." She glanced at Tama. "Now that I think about it, you are the exact image of him. You must be his sister. And then Sango-chan whom he mentioned, and Miroku, I believe, is the houshi?"  
  
Tama and Miroku stared, and the houshi muttered through the corner of his mouth at Tama, "Remarkable intuition..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Sango only nodded. "Yes." Kitsuko sighed. "Kagome is the girl who was with him then?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"I see. Well, she was not with him when I found him, so I believe we should split up and search for him, ne?"  
  
They all exchanged glances. "Kagome-chan is missing?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She looked around. She was in the forest, and Kirara lay next to her, in her small form. Everything was quiet, save some birds chirping.  
  
"Where... am I?"  
  
"You're in Kitsuko Forest." replied a dangerously familiar voice and Kagome spun. Kikyou stood behind her. Kagome cringed away. "Ki.. Kikyou..."  
  
The dead miko looked the same as she ever had, except her eyes. They were as blood. And the haori she wore over her yukata was black, with a gold dragon embroidered over the front. Her hakama wasn't red anymore, but dark blue, and she wore a rosary of blood red beads. Kikyou's quiver and bow were slung, and she had the same cold, evil look she had the other day when they saw her come over the horizon.   
  
Kagome stood, staggering back. She hit a tree and froze, and Kikyou raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you-- yet. Uramiko-sama asked me not to do anything but watch today, and it seems Torou is as worthless as you lot."  
  
Kagome sighed with relief, and then raised her eyes to the other miko. "You really do work for her now, huh? ......You have no idea how much that hurts Inuyasha, do you? ......how much it hurts him that you don't know him anymore."  
  
Kikyou was silent for a moment. When she spoke, she said with a snarl, "I have no memory of my life before Uramiko-sama found me in the ravine. I care not what happened before, but some part of me must, because I feel compelled to ask questions."   
  
She glared at Kagome. "You, some worthless human miko, canceled out my power when I fired my arrow. I do not know why, but for some reason, it makes me want to believe whatever you will say. So answer me this." She paused and looked at Kagome with an almost sad look. "...why do I feel drawn to Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome lowered her eyes, knowing she must tell Kikyou the truth. "You..." Kagome bit her lip. "You were in love with each other, fifty years ago. But a demon named Naraku... pit you against each other, and after a huge misunderstanding, you pinned Inuyasha against a tree in your home village, and you died believing that the wound that resulted in your death was caused by Inuyasha."  
  
"'Pinned him'?"  
  
"Yes, with your sacred miko power."  
  
"Nonsense!" Kikyou yelled, "I'm a demon, not a--"  
  
"You aren't a demon, Kikyou, you were a human miko!" Kagome interrupted, "You were born in a village in Musashi, and you were the miko who was given the Shikon no Tama to purify! But you fell in love with Inuyasha, and you died! You died hating him, so when you returned from death, your one goal... was to kill him."  
  
Kikyou stopped, her eyes going wide. Kagome looked at her. "I don't know if the reason you are drawn to him is because you're trying to remember your love for him... or your hate. But everything I said was the truth!! I swear it."  
  
Kikyou turned, facing away from Kagome, and then asked softly, "Then..... if I am a miko... then Uramiko, everything she said to me is a lie..." She turned. "She told me that I was a demon and you were a miko, and that was how you could cancel out my powers. But if I am a miko, and YOU are a miko... then the arrow's purifying power would not have injured you, but the arrow would have. So the question still remains... how were you able to cancel out my power?"  
  
"Because..." Kagome lowered her head. "I am you."  
  
Kikyou looked taken aback, but before she or Kagome could say anything else, they heard a rustling through the trees to the right. "Kagome~!! Kikyou~!"  
  
Both turned, and saw Inuyasha running towards them. Kagome's heart leapt to her throat. *Inuyasha!*  
  
Kikyou snarled, and lifted a hand. Instantly, several Shinidamachuu appeared, and swirled around her to float her away as usual. Inuyasha couldn't see this, but he could smell her scent drifting away. "Kikyou, dammit!"  
  
She was gone, but Inuyasha didn't worry too much; she would return. He turned in Kagome's direction, his hands a little ways away from his body as he blindly searched through the air for Kagome. By his gestures and the blankness of his eyes, Kagome could tell he still couldn't see and went to him.  
  
His fingers brushed across the fabric of her shirt and he snatched her to him, holding her tightly. Kagome could feel the relief flowing through him, and hugged him back with a sigh. She was glad to see him okay too.   
  
"Kagome! Are you alright? She didn't hurt you?" he asked worriedly and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine.. I was worried about you.. Are you still in pain? Doesn't it hurt?"  
  
"No, I'm okay," he said softly.  
  
"Well, I figured you'd run off to find her. You don't mind too well, do you boy?" asked a different voice. They turned and Inuyasha sniffed. The scent of lilac and mountain air tickled his nose and he smiled sheepishly. "Kitsuko?"  
  
Kagome gawped at the pretty young woman who stood before them. She was barely older than Kagome herself. "Kitsuko??"  
  
Inuyasha grunted in pain suddenly and Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha?!" He keeled over, and Kagome was kneeling by him when she noticed his hands. "You.. your claws are gone."  
  
Kitsuko's smile faded. "His body is transforming, hm? And while he has not yet healed," She looked at Tama, whose hair was darkening to black, and then back at Inuyasha, who was the same. Then she looked up at the sun. Or, where it used to be. A veil of darkness was beginning to cover the sky and a few stars had appeared.  
  
"The sun has set on the night of the new moon, hm? Figures that it would be your day of weakness. Hanyou are always like that." She smiled again to show she meant no insult and then pointed a finger towards the mountain. "We should hurry to my home. You all may rest there while I care for Inuyasha."  
  
"Will Inuyasha be alright?" Sango asked as she and Kagome helped Inuyasha to Kirara. Kitsuko tilted her head.   
  
"I don't know."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
Okay~! Ja ne~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	12. Human

Chapter 12 revised (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own every single piece of Inuyasha, everyone knows it and Takahashi's just trying to-- ::gets clubbed in the head:: ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I WAS KIDDING I'M SORRY~!!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Five :: Human  
  
Chapter Twelve :: Human  
  
"Kagome-chan?" Kagome looked up. Kitsuko was beckoning, and the young miko wandered over. She looked around as she did, gently touching some of the things as she walked past them.   
  
The house wasn't exactly how she'd imagined. It was bigger than Kaede-baachan's hut in Musashi, much bigger. It would comfortably hold at least six people and those six wouldn't get cabin fever, at least not anytime in the next millennia. The one thing that WAS the way Kagome imagined was that it was filled with flowers and herbs of all kinds, and smelled of earth and plants.  
  
The others were kneeling next to Kitsuko's floor-hearth, drinking tea that she had provided, and the young witch was making something in a small wooden bowl. She had taken two different herbs and boiled them and now she mashed them together, making a paste. Inuyasha was lying down, dozing on a straw pallet away from the fire.  
  
The sun had set an hour before, and now both Inuyasha and Tama were human. Inuyasha's fever had returned with a vengeance, and the first task on Kitsuko's agenda was to bring it down. She had set to work immediately brewing some medicine for him in addition to the pasty stuff.  
  
"Kagome-chan," Kitsuko began, handing Kagome a bowl of some kind of frothy soup, "Give this to Inuyasha-kun. It will bring down his fever and help him sleep." Kagome nodded and went to Inuyasha, sitting him up and bringing the bowl his lips. He sipped it and then made a face. "Aaaa~~ wench, what the hell is this?!"  
  
"It's soup made from a demon hybrid of a fever-reducing herb that I bred myself. Drink it, you spoiled little brat," she teased, and Inuyasha's lips puckered. "It's fucking nasty."  
  
"The worse the illness, the worse the medicine. You're very sick, though you don't feel it because I took some of the pain away. But trust me, you're still very sick," Kitsuko said, still mashing away in the small bowl. "Drink it all," she repeated.  
  
"What does he have, Kitsuko-san?" Kagome asked, still with the hanyou as he drank, and Kitsuko sighed. "It's a simple but deadly youkai virus. It's rare, caused by mukade-byouma. And Inuyasha-kun here has taken in a large amount of the toxin, and his case is actually very severe."  
  
"Is... is he going to... die?"  
  
Kitsuko looked surprised, and smiled faintly when she saw the intense pain on Kagome's face, recognizing the young girl's fears. "No, he won't die." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Kitsuko sighed. "There IS, however, bad news, though the only thing damaged will be Inuyasha's pride."  
  
Inuyasha hmphed and then continued drinking his medicine. "What do you mean, just my pride?"  
  
Kitsuko smiled knowingly. "You will have to remain human."  
  
Inuyasha spewed out the medicine. "~~~WHAT~~~~!!!??!!!"  
  
Kagome gasped, somehow managing to catch the bowl of medicinal soup that Inuyasha dropped. "Wh-why?!" she wailed on Inuyasha's behalf, seeing as how the hanyou had begun to go into proverbial seizures.  
  
Kitsuko didn't answer at first as she finished mashing the herbs into paste and scooted over on her knees. She gently took Inuyasha's chin and lifted his face towards her. "Open your eyes Inuyasha."  
  
He obeyed, and she wiped some of the paste directly onto his left eye. He flinched, pulling back and turning his head, lifting his hand to rub his eye. "OW~ That stings...!"   
  
Kitsuko grabbed his wrist, preventing him from touching his paste-smudged eye. "I know. Don't rub it out, the medicine won't work if it's not where it needs to be. Now come back over here and let me get the other one."  
  
The hanyou shook his head, blinking. There was paste stuck to his eyelashes and everytime he blinked, it stung even more, and his eyes were watering. "No fucking way, that shit hurts--"  
  
"Inuyasha!!" Kitsuko reprimanded, firmly but calmly, "Listen to me. Your eyes have been permanently damaged by your illness. They cannot heal on their own, and they are useless as they are and will remain useless unless you have this, do you understand? You WILL NOT regain your sight without this medicine."   
  
Inuyasha breathed out angrily, and then opened his eyes again. Kitsuko leaned forward and rubbed some of the paste into his other eye and the hanyou pulled back again with a soft noise that sounded like a curse. Kitsuko ignored him. "Now. Close your eyes, and don't open them until I tell you to."  
  
"Whatever..." he agreed, keeping his eyes closed, "But how come none of your medicine feels good?!!"  
  
Kitsuko laughed as she set an incense stick to smoke. "Medicine isn't supposed to," then she said with a grimace, "My mother used to be sadistic and say it's payback for having gotten sick in the first place."  
  
"What about him having to stay human, Kitsuko-sama?" Miroku asked a bit impatiently and Kitsuko nodded and she turned back to them, wiping her hands of the pasty eye medicine. "Yes. Inuyasha's body has deteriorated a great deal in the past three days that he's been ill. The virus is a youkai one. If he were a full youkai as he WISHES to be... he would be dead now." They all sucked in a gasp and Inuyasha frowned.   
  
Tama blinked, narrowing her violet eyes inquisitively. "It's not a human virus…?? But the humans we saw at the village…?"  
  
"It is very capable of killing humans; I did not mean that it cannot affect human beings. However for human beings the virus spreads slower and it would take longer for them to pass. But for Inuyasha-kun, as a hanyou, his human blood was not even touched by the sickness. When he transformed into a human, it saved his life."  
  
The group stared at the healer, transfixed.   
  
Kitsuko turned to her medicines and herbs, clearing them from her small table. "Until his youkai blood is completely free of the disease, Inuyasha-kun will remain human. My medicine will prevent the transformation back to his hanyou body until his body heals."  
  
"How long will that be?" Miroku asked and Kitsuko shook her head. "Sadly, I don't know. He is very ill as I said, but he could very well transform back tomorrow morning when the sun rises, as usual... or he may stay like this for up to a week."  
  
They all looked a little grave, and everyone was silent for a long time. Kitsuko tended to the fire and after a moment laughed to herself. "It still surprises me how Inuyasha's human blood was saved. He should be dead. Hanyou or not, struggling for three days with a youkai virus, he would have been killed. And yet here he is human and fine. Rather intriguing, don't you all think?  
  
They all glanced at Inuyasha, who was leaning over on Kagome's shoulder, his eyes closed. He looked to be mostly asleep, which was to be expected; Kitsuko's fever medicine would make him drowsy. Kagome rubbed his hand.  
  
*Something protected Inuyasha's human blood. When he should have died, he's alive.* Kagome looked at her friends. "So what was it?"  
  
~*~  
  
An older man shuffled along, looking up at the palace of a lower daimyo he had arrived at and panting from the weight of the pack on his back. Despite it being very late, the older man noticed a young boy standing outside, and he looked to be about eleven or twelve. He had black hair, pulled up into a short bob ponytail in the back, and a freckled little nose. He wore a no-sleeved kimono common for boys his age, and when he saw the elderly man, he gasped. "Sir, do you need help?"  
  
He rushed over and gingerly lifted the pack, hefting it up on his own small shoulders easily. The old man eyed him for a moment before he smiled. "Thank you young man, that's very kind. You are a servant here?"  
  
"Yessir, just an orphan looking for work. I came to work with the guard here a few days ago," the boy replied, gesturing to the sickle-blade stuck in his belt. The old man seemed surprised that such a young child would be a guard, but he said nothing as the boy helped him enter.  
  
One of the young ladies, a girl who was a little older than the boy, noticed them and smiled. "Ah, Sofu-ue!" The boy blinked. "Hana-himesama, this man is your grandfather?"  
  
"Yes! Thank you so much Kohaku-kun, for helping him." the young girl said, bowing, "My brave Sofu-ue likes to travel, and despite the threat of youkai he sometimes wanders off too far! It's why he returns late at night!" She teased, patting the old man's back.   
  
The grandfather narrowed an eye. "Young lords do not like young potential brides with smart mouths... but since you are not such a girl, Grandfather will show you what he has brought."  
  
He pulled out of his sash a small pink, glowing shard. The girl, Hana, smiled. "How pretty!! Grandfather you brought it for me?!"  
  
"I did. Here, my lovely Hana." He handed it to her and Hana clasped it between both hands. "Thank you very much, Sofu-ue." He placed his hand over hers. "Hana-chan, listen to Grandfather. You must NEVER give it to anyone, do you understand? Many people would like to take this from you, and you must not let them."   
  
She nodded, and then pinned it between her fingers and showed it to the boy, whom she'd called Kohaku. "Kohaku-kun, isn't it pretty?"  
  
"It is, Hana-himesama." Kohaku agreed, eyeing it. He excused himself quickly and returned to his post. Once there, alone again, he reached back and felt the wound where his own shard glowed, keeping him alive.  
  
*I wonder... If Ane-ue will ever find me again... I know not where to look for her, but I know that if I do... it will once again be time to say goodbye. Without the shard in my back, the Shikon no Tama will never be complete. But if they take it... I will die.*  
  
He looked up at the sky sadly. "Ane-ue Sango... where are you?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Something protected Inuyasha-sama's human blood, thereby saving his life..." Myouga mused gruffly, and Tanpopo blinked her sleep-filled eyes. "I KNOW ya were talkin' about this when I went t'sleep, an' here it is nearly mornin' an' yet yer still talkin' about it so now I feel compelled t'ask: why th' hell does this matter?"  
  
"Because he's going to be human longer than just tonight," Kagome yelped, pacing back and forth, "If we can figure out what protected him, then.. then we may be able to protect him while he's this way." She glanced at Inuyasha, who was curled up on a pallet, sleeping, his arms around Tessaiga--  
  
"Tessaiga...?" She gasped, turning to look at her friends. "Do you think.. maybe it was Tessaiga?" Kagome questioned and Sango blinked. "Tessaiga?"  
  
"His demon sword?" Kitsuko asked and Kagome nodded. "This sword was made by Inuyasha's father, Inutaisho, to protect Inuyasha and Tama-chan's mother, who was human. You can't use it without protective feelings for humans. And Tessaiga has protected Inuyasha's life before. Do you think that maybe Tessaiga protected his human blood from the virus?"  
  
"It's possible, but on previous nights of the black moon," Miroku interjected, "Tessaiga never did such a thing. It only seems to protect him while he's hanyou."  
  
"But it protected me that time when we found out about Inuyasha's secret. It always protected me before, but even on the night he was human it still worked... It was created to protect humans, so maybe... maybe it does protect him after all, right?"  
  
"I can't use Tessaiga when I'm human, Kagome."  
  
They all started, surprised by Inuyasha's sleepy voice. She turned and looked at him. His eyes were still closed, but he was awake. He sat up, keeping his eyes closed. "Tessaiga doesn't transform for me on the nights that I'm human, and it's useless otherwise. From now until I transform back, Tessaiga will be essentially useless."  
  
Kagome looked at him, her expression disappointed, and then she sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right, Inuyasha..." She gasped suddenly. "Hey, Kitsuko-san, is it alright for Inuyasha to open his eyes yet??"  
  
Kitsuko looked at the stick of incense she had set to smoke away when she put the medicine on Inuyasha's eyes four hours ago. "I think so."   
  
She got up and went to Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha-kun, you can open your eyes now, but before you do, I have to warn you: your sight will not return immediately. You have been blind for nearly two days, and your eyes won't be used to having to work again. So open them very slowly, and don't be discouraged if you can't see perfectly."  
  
"Right," he agreed. Kagome was at his left side, gripping his hand tightly, and he squeezed her hand to calm her. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at the light that bombarded the weakened brown orbs.  
  
Everything was blurry, and very dim, like a black veil over his face. He squinted, peering at his hand. There it was, the shape perfect and unflawed, just dim. He flexed his hand and watched it move. Then he turned his head, and looked at Kagome. "Kagome...?"  
  
"Inuyasha...?? Can you see me???" He grinned, grasping her and pulling her tightly to his chest. She gasped, blushing a bit, and he smiled against her ear. "I can see you."  
  
She smiled, happy tears in her eyes. She slipped her arms around him also. "Inuyasha~!"  
  
"Inuyasha-kun, I'm happy for you, but pay attention for a moment," Kitsuko interrupted, "Your eyes will be very weak for a couple of days, and you mustn't look directly at anything bright, like fire or the sun, because your eyes can't take it yet."  
  
"Okay." he replied, turning to look at her. Behind her he noticed the flicking of the fire in the floor-hearth and looked at it.  
  
"Ow~" he moaned, shutting his eyes and turning his face away, and Kagome sweatdropped. Kitsuko knocked him on the head. "Idiot, I said DON'T look at the fire."  
  
"He's an idiot," Tanpopo observed, her eyes wide and Tama nodded. "That's my brother for you."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	13. The Palace at Small Mountain

Chapter 13 revised. (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: ::sighs::  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Five :: Human  
  
Chapter Thirteen :: The Palace at Small Mountain  
  
A few birds chirped overhead as Kagome glanced up at the sky. It was morning, and the sun was low in the sky, having come up over the horizon recently. Tama had transformed back to her normal self, and Inuyasha... well, he hadn't.  
  
"This sucks," the hanyou snarled, looking at his nails which were short and dull. Miroku smiled sympathetically. "Inuyasha, it's not that devastating, is it?"  
  
The hanyou turned his face and growled at the houshi, and he yelped. Kagome winced. "Well at least you haven't lost that..." she muttered.  
  
Inuyasha turned back to the beautiful young witch who had condemned him to this fate. She was plucking herbs from her stock. Kagome had asked for them, in case something happened to the others.  
  
Since the demon hybrids Kitsuko grew in her garden were stronger than some of the other herbs, they would be essential to Tama and Inuyasha. Shippou and Tanpopo didn't get into enough trouble for it, but it would be there for them too, if they needed it.   
  
Inuyasha 'keh'ed. "Kitsuko, this really sucks," he repeated.  
  
Kitsuko sighed as she brushed back some leaves and reached for one of the herbs farther back. "You'll just have to get over it, you brat. It'll be annoying, I know, and it could potentially even worse when you finally DO start changing back."  
  
Inuyasha blinked. "What does that mean, wench?" Kitsuko sighed as she bagged the herbs, finishing up. "Well I have a theory.. it is JUST a theory, but I'm thinking that when your body does heal, and you start to change back, the changes will be rather gradual, even more so than usual. It may even take you an entire day just to return to normal."  
  
"WHAT?~!" Inuyasha let a string of curses fly that startled even himself. From behind him, Tama, her hanyou self once again, smacked him. "Cut that out!"   
  
"Ow~~ I'm still sick you know!!"  
  
"If you are then act sick, you lowlife!"  
  
Kagome smiled as she watched them argue. She'd missed that more than she'd realized. Having to put up with the twins' bickering was more preferable than having to deal with Tama moping and Inuyasha dying.   
  
Oh, much, MUCH more preferable.  
  
As they headed down the mountain, Kagome turned back and waved to Kitsuko. "Thank you again, Kitsuko-san!! For everything~!" The young witch waved back, a bright smile on her face. "Come back again if you guys get roughed up, okay?"  
  
As they walked, Kagome edged up to Inuyasha. It was morning, and typically he was silver-haired once more. Yet his long hair was still black, his eyes brown. He noticed her staring and glared at her. "What already???"  
  
"Are you feeling okay??" she asked, and he snorted, his typical reaction, which was proof for Kagome that he was probably fine. "I'm fine," he snarled, further evidence of his back-to-normalness, "I feel pretty good, actually. With the exception that I'm stuck like THIS for God only knows how long, I'm fine."  
  
Kagome tried to stifle a laugh. He sounded so much like a spoiled brat that she couldn't help it. Inuyasha sombered and lowered his voice to the point where she could barely hear him. "It's not funny. I can't protect you when I'm like this."  
  
She sighed, slipping her hand into his. "Of course you can. It'll be okay. Once your body has healed, you'll be a hanyou again."  
  
"You mean I'll be myself again," he growled and she rubbed her face against his arm, "You'll be hanyou again; you're you either way and I'll take you anyway I can have you."  
  
Inuyasha caught his breath. Kikyou had never said that to him, had she? Had she ever once told him that she wanted to be with him, no matter whether he was human or hanyou? No, she had only ever wanted him to be human.   
  
It made his heart skip a beat, knowing that Kagome would stick with him through anything, even being as weak and helpless as he was. He raised his eyes to the sky and said vacantly, " 'Become human and live with me...'"   
  
Kagome looked up at him. "What?"  
  
"It's what Kikyou told me. She always said she refused to stay with me if I wasn't human. She said she couldn't." He nuzzled his cheek against her hair lovingly. "Kagome... thanks for staying with me."   
  
She stared at the road ahead of them, her eyes wide in a bit of surprise at his display of affection. Then she nodded and replied softly, "No problem... I like being with you." They were quiet for a moment, and then Inuyasha said, "I hate this. No matter how much I want to, I can't show you how much I love you..."  
  
Kagome nodded. "Yes you can. You're doing it now." He looked down at her, a bit puzzled, and she smiled, holding up their clasped hands. "Stay with me like this for a little longer. It's enough." Silently he nodded.  
  
For awhile the pair walked like that, their hands locked, enjoying just being in the other's company. Their moment was lost to the winds when Kagome flinched suddenly, snapping awake. "I feel a Shikon shard."  
  
"Just one?" Tama asked, appearing from nowhere, and Sango's heart leapt to her throat. Kagome shook her head. "No, two."  
  
Sango's heart sank. *It's... not Kohaku then...* She felt a hand on her shoulder then and looked up at Miroku. His eyes were sympathetic. "We'll find him, Sango," he said softly.  
  
"Miroku-sama..."  
  
"Kyaa~~!!" They all snapped up, and looked down the road, where a young girl was racing towards them. In hot pursuit behind her was some sort of youkai; it looked like a...  
  
"I think that's a tree." Kagome mused blankly and Sango blinked, her stare as vacant as Kagome's. "Is that a youkai made of plants...??"  
  
Inuyasha started forward, but felt the tug of Kagome at his wrist, and he turned. She shook her head, her eyes fearful, and Inuyasha turned back, grinding his teeth together in frustration as his sister raced ahead in his place.  
  
"Dokka Tessou~!" Tama snatched the girl up in one arm and slashed the plant youkai with the other. She dropped to the ground effortlessly, and the girl, who was about 12 or 13, looked up at her gratefully. "Thanks~~ you saved me.."  
  
"No problem kid. What the hell was that?" Tama asked, setting the kid on the ground and the girl dusted off her kimono. She looked up at them. "I dunno... They suddenly started appearing yesterday evening, when Koyama-jiisama returned from a trip."  
  
"Koyama?" Sango wondered and the girl nodded. "Our village is on the land of the Koyama family, and we serve them. They're a very kind family, not like most daimyos or so I've heard; they take care of us peasants. Koyama Mugihito-jiisama is the head of the family. But Jiisama likes to travel, and when he is away, his son, Koyama Hideyuki-sama, is in charge."  
  
"And when he returned yesterday this started?" Miroku asked and the girl nodded. "No one knows why. They think its a demon, because Jiisama was acting strange."  
  
"Strange?" repeated Kagome and the little girl nodded again, vigorously. "See, Jiisama always brings back treasures for us children, like an interesting feather he found or a particularly round stone, and he always tells us stories of his travels before he returns to his palace. But yesterday, he came through without a word, and snapped at those who tried to bother him."  
  
"So you're upset because you finally got on some old daimyo's nerves and he hates kids now?" Inuyasha wondered unsympathetically, and Kagome elbowed him. The girl slapped a fist into her palm, as if she had remembered something suddenly. "Oh yeah, and Jiisama had this tiny pink glowing shard with him."  
  
They all snapped awake at that. Kagome leaned forward and put two fingers together, "Was it about this big?"  
  
"Yep! How did you know?" The group exchanged knowing glances and then Kagome smiled to ease the girl's worry. "If we went to see the daimyo, would he let us in?"  
  
"Sure!! Even if Jiisama doesn't wanna see anyone, Hana-himesama LOVES company!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Mayo-chan!" Hana came forward and hugged the dirty little girl. "You said you would be here early this morning, were you delayed?"  
  
Mayo, the little peasant girl, nodded. "Sorry, I was attacked by a youkai!" Hana looked worried. "My goodness, are you alright?! I hear those have become quite troublesome recently and I was unaware they were so close to our house. You were unhurt?"   
  
Mayo nodded again. "I was saved by these people!" Hana looked up at the group. "Uhm... these people?" Inuyasha grimaced, biting back a spiteful remark at her distasteful skeptical expression, and Kagome gasped. *Why... do I feel the Shikon shard from this girl...??*  
  
"Hana-himesama?" Miroku addressed and the 14 year old princess nodded. "Yes that's me, may I inquire who you people are?"  
  
"I'm a monk," Miroku said, his wandering hand finding the princess' backside. The princess squealed. "Kyaa~!! What manner of monk are you!?!" she demanded, and while Sango had a go at Miroku with her boomerang, Kagome apologized to Hana for Miroku.  
  
"His behavior is inexcusable I know, but please don't mind him... And we're demon exterminators." Kagome introduced and the young princess squealed.   
  
"Wonderful!! We're having a bit of a problem with youkai right now as you know if you saved Mayo-chan! What luck to have you stop here!! Please come in!" She grabbed Kagome by the hand and yanked her into the palace.  
  
~*~  
  
"It's very odd," Hana began as she lead them to the rooms she had ordered for them, "Since yesterday, it seems the plants in the area are coming to life and attacking people... Several people have already been injured."  
  
"I see. Hana-himesama, don't worry, you can leave everything to us." Miroku said, and Hana smiled, keeping a good distance from the houshi. "I'm sure I can, and I appreciate it more than you can tell... I believe my beloved Sofu-ue has been worrying too much about this youkai business... He has become snippety to all who cross his path. It seems that only I am able to soothe him, because he will see neither the physician, nor even my father. If he asks for anyone, it is always I."  
  
"Your grandfather... Koyama-jiisama?" mused Kagome and Hana nodded. "Yes, that is what he has all the villagers call him," she replied, "He loves all of them like they were his own family, as do most of us. Mayo-chan and I were raised together, in fact." she said, giving Mayo a smile, but then the smile faded and she sighed. "But since yesterday..."  
  
"Do not fret, Hana-himesama. We will handle everything." Miroku eased over again and Sango bopped him in the head, noticing his twitching right hand. "Mi~ro~ku~sa~ma~~!!!"  
  
"It's a reflex, a reflex!!" he wailed.  
  
Hana grimaced, quickly stepping out of the way. "I'm sorry, but I have business to attend to now, please make yourselves comfortable." She and Mayo left, shutting the doors, and Shippou plopped down. "This is a rather nice house!" Tanpopo looked around before sitting in the corner of the room, folding her arms.  
  
"I'll be back," Tama said, going to the door. She turned back to look at them. "I'm gonna go check things out."  
  
"I'm coming too." Inuyasha said quickly, standing, and Tama shook her head. "Inuyasha, don't get mad or anything, but you're no good as a human. Without your canine senses you'd just slow me down."  
  
Inuyasha looked insulted, but Kagome tugged on his hand. "Inuyasha, she's right; you're not able to do anything now."  
  
The hanyou growled a curse under his breath and snatched his hand out of Kagome's, stomping to the other side of the room, and Kagome pressed her lips together, feeling guilty. Tama patted Kagome's shoulder. "Don't get down, Kagome-chan. He's just annoyed with himself." She opened the door, "I hafta go. I'll be back at dusk. Don't get into any trouble till then, okay?" She said the last teasingly, and shut the door behind her as she went.  
  
They were silent for awhile before Kagome stood and headed for the door. Miroku looked up. "Kagome-sama??" Kagome turned to look at them.  
  
"I'm going to go speak with Hana-himesama... she... has a shard of the Shikon no Tama." They gasped, and Miroku looked up at Kagome. "The princess does?"  
  
"Yes… I'm not sure why, but maybe if I can talk to her, I'll figure something out." Immediately Inuyasha jumped up. "I'm coming too!" Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha~~"  
  
"Dammit, I'm not going to sit around and do nothing, and YOU are not going anywhere by YOURSELF!" he said, his eyes smoldering. Kagome looked at him and he stared right back at her, not budging. Then she nodded, slinging her bow with a smile. "Alright, then let's go."  
  
~*~  
  
Koyama-jiisama leaned over one of the many plants in his room, petting the lush leaves on one of them. "My beautiful plants... I shall let no one harm you..."  
  
The biggest plant looked to be an ivy of some sort, and several tiny violet buds were starting to bloom. Koyama's eyes glazed over as he stroked the ivy's leaves. "My beautiful...flowers..."  
  
"Sofu-ue?" called an unsure voice.  
  
"Who's there?!" the old man snapped angrily, coming to, and Hana pushed aside the half-open door with a creak. "Sofu-ue, it's just I, Hana..."  
  
Koyama softened and beckoned to his little granddaughter. She stepped in uncertainly, walking to him and he patted her dark hair affectionately, "My Hana-chan, please come in. I apologize for snapping at you, I was unaware of who it was."  
  
"Actually, Sofu-ue, it was just that about which I came to speak to you," Hana began softly, "My handmaiden Mayo-chan tells me you are sending away everyone... Not just the physician now but also... Chichi-ue, Haha-ue, Ani-ue... the servants who bring your food and clothing... and you have doubled the guard on your room. Sofu-ue, why do you send all away but not I?"  
  
"Because," the old man began, patting her hair again, "My little lovely Hana, you give me strength." He tapped her chest, just at her collarbone, "Hana-chan, you still wear the pink jewel I gave you, do you not?"  
  
"Of course!" Hana smiled, pulling out the necklace. It was a ceramic flower charm, and she opened it. The jewel was inside. "See? It's a beautiful gift from my beloved Sofu-ue! I will always treasure it!"   
  
She looked at him seriously, "But Sofu-ue, you're ill, you know. I am glad that I give you strength, but the physician would surely be able to heal your ails better than I." She looked frightened. "And, there is a rumor of a youkai nearby, and it had scared me to no end. I have never seen a youkai before."  
  
"There is no youkai, Hana-chan," Koyama said, "You need not fear."  
  
"There IS a youkai, Mayo-chan and several others have been attacked by it! But the last you said is true! Youkai taiji-ya have come to rescue us! They stay in this very palace!"  
  
Koyama looked irked. "Taiji-ya, hn?" Hana nodded, clasping her hands together. "They will surely exorcise the youkai; they have a houshi-sama with them --he is quite lecherous, but he seems to bear good intention-- and they look very strong!"  
  
Koyama nodded, and faked a smile. "I see. Well, that puts MY fears to rest. Hopefully, my little Hana-chan, you will also be able to rest easy. Now go on and be good."  
  
Hana nodded and scampered away. Koyama stood and looked at the ivy plant with the purple flowers. They would be full bloom by dusk. He went to the plant and snapped off some of the older blooms, and scattered them on the floor.  
  
Instantly, the flowers began to radiate with a murderous energy, and each of them shot more vines and ivy leaves, until each of them were a large bundle of ivy vines. Koyama pointed to the door. "The taiji-ya. Kill them."  
  
The clumps of vines scurried away, and Koyama sat at his desk again. *Taiji-ya, hn? I did not expect them. However, I have finally regained my strength. This body is mine now, and I will not let anyone take it.*  
  
Behind Koyama's body, the ghostly figure of a woman appeared from the ivy, and she leaned forward, slipping her nonexistent arms around him. *As I gain more power by devouring this old body... I take one step closer to recovering my true form...*  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
sofu-ue:: very polite way to say grandfather. (the same way chichi-ue is father, haha-ue is mother, ani-ue is big brother, ane-ue is big sister)  
  
Koyama:: small mountain ;p They live in the mountains in Kouzuke, so~~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	14. Reunion

Chapter 14 revised (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: ::sits like Inuyasha, wearing his outfit, with a long white wig and fake dog ears. giggles insanely::  
  
Tessen's mother:: Oh boy~  
  
Tessen:: If you can't own them, join them!!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Five :: Human  
  
Chapter Fourteen :: Reunion  
  
"Jeeeez, where the HELL did she go?!" Inuyasha wondered aggravatedly, and Kagome laughed. "It IS a big palace for such a small mountain."  
  
"Yeah well, why the hell does that Hana chick have a shard of the jewel, she seemed like any normal human to me." Inuyasha snarled, his hands on his hips, and Kagome shook her head. "I dunno... but if Koyama-jiisama is possessed by a youkai or something... Hana-himesama is in danger... She said herself the only one he will see is her."  
  
"Kyaa~!!"  
  
Inuyasha snapped to it and raced forward, Kagome on his heels, and they spun the corner of the hall. Large clumps of vines bearing violet flowers were darting across the floor, and several were already attached to the walls, spreading over them. The vines already had wrapped around some of the servant women.  
  
"Plants with wills...?!" Kagome wondered in horror, and Inuyasha charged, unsheathing his sword, "Kagome, help those girls, I'll handle this~" Tessaiga slashed through the vines, but they regrouped, and Inuyasha cursed. *Dammit, it's because of this fucking useless human body of mine...*  
  
The vines swarmed together into one large vine, and smashed into the hanyou. He yelped, crashing through the railing and landing in the garden, Tessaiga clattering to the floor. One of the vines detached and dove underground.   
  
When it surfaced again, it had created yet more vines from the ground below it, coming up from underneath Inuyasha's body. They wrapped around his ankles and wrists, leaving the hanyou hanging suspended in air, spread eagle.  
  
"Dammit~" Inuyasha cursed, tugging at the vines. They tightened and he winced as the small thorns cut into his wrists. Kagome gasped, looking up from helping the terrified servants. "I-Inuyasha!"  
  
The vines regrouped again, rearing back as if preparing to strike. The ends intertwined, forming a large thorn and Inuyasha grit his teeth together, trying to free himself from the vines, which were growing tighter, holding him immobile.  
  
Kagome fired an arrow, but it bounced off the sharp shell of the large thorn harmlessly. She gasped, slipping down off the walkway towards the vine. "Inuyasha~!!"  
  
The first vine, the original, shot out and wrapped around Kagome. She squealed as the vine constricted, "Kya~ Stupid vine, lemme go~!!" Inuyasha cursed. "Kagome!" He struggled harder. *Dammit... fucking weak human body....*  
  
The thorn shone at the end, and Inuyasha swallowed as it reared back. The thorned vine launched itself at the suspended hanyou and Kagome gasped. "INUYASHA~!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Where're Kagome-chan and my idiot brother?" was Tama's first question when she returned, and Sango looked up from combing Kirara. "They left to go speak to the princess. Kagome-chan said Hana-himesama had a jewel shard."  
  
"Hn. Hana-hime left with an escort a little while ago. It was weird. Her grandfather, I suppose it was who he was, was ushering her out with a young boy with a sickle-blade on a chain."  
  
Sango leapt up. "A sickle-blade on a chain?!!" Tama looked shocked. "Y-yeah..." Sango caught her breath. "Tama-chan, could you feel the kehai of a shard near him??"  
  
"Yeah, but that was probably just Hana-hime, I mean Kagome-chan said there were two, and if Hana's got one, maybe she's got them both..." Tama was suddenly aware than the taiji-ya wasn't listening. In fact, she wasn't there. She'd snatched up her boomerang, and rushed from the room. Tama looked in confusion at Miroku. "Why is that a big deal??"  
  
"I'll explain it on the way," the houshi responded, and looked at Tanpopo and Shippou, who were eating the dinner the servants had provided. "C'mon you two--"  
  
"Kya~!" Miroku raced outside the room, and gawped. Sango was being held in the air by a large clumping of vines that had form an even larger one. "Sango~!!"   
  
"Miroku-sama~!!" The vines tightened and Sango grit her teeth, the thorns pricking her skin through her clothes.  
  
"Dokka Tessou~!!" Tama slashed through the vines effortlessly and Miroku caught Sango as she fell. "Are you alright," he asked, looking her in the eye, and she blushed. "I..." She bonked him on the head when she felt a familiar caress on her ass. "I'M FINE!"  
  
"I was just checking for wounds," he insisted, and she gawped. "On my butt?" He shrugged and Tama sighed. "If you two are ready to return to reality, I'm happy to announce that the vines ARE STILL HERE!" She dodged one of the vines' strikes, and Sango threw Hiraikotsu.   
  
The boomerang cut easily through the vine, but it reattached, and Tama stared. "It did that before when I slashed through it with my claws...!"  
  
"Are they being controlled from elsewhere??" Sango wondered and Miroku shook is head. "There is no magic attached to them; these are working on their own."  
  
"Vines fighting of their own volition??" Tanpopo demanded and Miroku nodded. "There must be a way to destroy it, we just have to think!"  
  
Tama dodged another attack and glared at the houshi. "Sorry, but, we don't have any time to sit and THINK!" Suddenly she thought of something. *If these vines are attacking us... maybe there are others attacking Kagome-chan and Inuyasha..?!* She looked worriedly towards the family rooms of the palace. *Inuyasha, Kagome-chan! Please be safe!*  
  
~*~  
  
"I wonder why Sofu-ue wanted us to leave so quickly!" Hana wondered aloud. Kohaku sighed. Having to walk all the way to the village with Hana-himesama was asking alot of him. He hated to ignore people, but the princess was a jabbermouth beyond belief. She was too excitable, even for someone her age.  
  
Suddenly he stopped. His stomach tightened with the distinct feeling of dread and he turned a moment, looking back at the palace, and the other guard who had been sent with him to escort Hana to the village looked at him. "Kohaku?"  
  
Kohaku stared. *This feeling... it's... Ane-ue Sango?? Then... is she at the palace?! And I didn't know?!* He turned. "Hana-himesama, Shingo-san, forgive me, but I must return!" And he turned and ran for the palace. Hana gasped. "Kohaku-kun?!"  
  
Kohaku ran, forgetting the princess in an instant. *Koyama-jiisama sent us away for a reason; he must have wanted to protect Hana-hime from something. Is Ane-ue in danger?*  
  
As he reached the palace gate, he stopped and stared. *The gates are covered with vines...?! What is this?!* He approached slowly, peering at them warily. The vines suddenly came to life and began to attack him and Kohaku threw his sickle-blade with amazing accuracy, and sprang through.   
  
*So the plant youkai has attacked! Ane-ue is in danger!!*  
  
~*~  
  
"INUYASHA!" Kagome surged forward, feeling the vines tug back on her, and she turned to the vines. "Damn!" Suddenly she heard a noise, the sound of a vine crashing into something and she looking up expecting to see the thorn tearing into Inuyasha. "Inuyasha?~!!"  
  
Instead she saw Tessaiga floating between Inuyasha and the thorn. The thorn seemed to be melting, and Tessaiga was glowing. Kagome stared. "T-Tessaiga?" Inuyasha was also staring. *Tessaiga protected me... All this time, it WAS protecting me...!*  
  
The sword clattered to the ground, its duty complete, and Inuyasha continued to struggle against the vines. They seemed looser now, and it was easier to fight them off. At that moment though, there was a jolt and slick ripping sound and Inuyasha hovered for a moment before realizing he was falling. He landed first, as a second ripping nose was heard and Kagome also succumbed to gravity.   
  
Inuyasha dove, and Kagome landed hard on him as he had expected. She gasped, twisting to look at the dazed hanyou. "Inuyasha?!!"  
  
He looked up at her, his eyes ever-spinning spirals. "Are you okay?!" she wailed worriedly, shaking him and he blinked. "I'm fine. You're not hurt, are you?" She shook her head and then looked around. "The vines stopped...? I wonder if the youkai has stopped... And who saved us?"  
  
"That would be me."  
  
Both of them looked up as a sickle-blade attached to a chain was caught gracefully by a young boy about 11 or 12. He was wearing a black and slate colored kimono, and his young face was sprinkled with freckles. His dark ponytail bobbed as he walked towards them, carefully sticking the chain-blade in his sash, "The youkai uses the purple flowers to draw energy, and it's also it's weak point. Having stayed nearby since Koyama-jiisama returned yesterday, I noticed that."  
  
Kohaku lifted his head and smiled at them, a bit sadly. "You're Ane-ue's friends, aren't you? I remember you from... before."  
  
"Kohaku-kun!!" Kagome hugged the boy, who looked startled. Kagome sighed, pushing him to arm's length. "Sango-chan will be so overjoyed to see you; she's missed you so much!!!!"  
  
"Ane-ue... worried about me..?" Kohaku wondered and Kagome nodded. "Speaking of, I wonder if everyone else are fighting this youkai... We should go check."  
  
~*~  
  
"Hiraikotsu~!"  
  
Sango flung her boomerang and grit her teeth when the youkai vines regrew. "Dammit," she growled, "There's not a damn thing we can do!!"  
  
"No matter how many times we tear them apart, they always regrow...!" Tama snarled, cracking her knuckles, and Tanpopo grinned insanely. "I'm good for getting the hell outta here! How about that plan!?!"  
  
"No, there are still people here in the palace, we have to protect them!" Miroku said, and Tanpopo snorted. "Stupid human sentiment..."  
  
"Well, we have to do something, because I think they're gonna attack aga--" Tama was cut off when a sickle-blade appeared from nowhere and sliced off the vines' purple flowers. The vines flopped to the ground harmlessly, and Sango, Tama, Miroku and the fox kits all stared, glazed over. "Why didn't we do that in the first place...??" Shippou wondered. Ignoring everyone else, Sango looked up hopefully. *Is it possible...?!*  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha jogged up to them, unharmed and Kagome smiled. "Minna! I'm glad you're okay~!!"  
  
"You too, Kagome-chan, where..." Sango gasped. Kohaku appeared from behind one of the vines and looked right back at her, his eyes tearing up. "An.. Ane-ue???"  
  
"Kohaku~?!  
  
At the sound of her voice, Kohaku began to tremble, and then took off, running headlong into her arms. "ANE-UE!!" Sango caught him, hugging him tightly as she slipped to her knees. The little boy hugged her back, trying to hold back the tears that streamed freely down his cheeks. "Ane-ue!!"  
  
Sango began to weep herself, and buried her face into Kohaku's small shoulder. "Kohaku~!!  
  
  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	15. Earth Sprite

Chapter 15 revised (2.7.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: ::still wearing the white wig and ears from before, and Inuyasha's haori. Except now she's holding a 2x4 shaped like Tessaiga in its transformed state. She has her two cats spray-painted white and pasted onto it for the fur.:: Kaze no Kizu~!  
  
Tessen's brother:: o_0   
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Five :: Human  
  
Chapter Fifteen :: Earth Sprite  
  
Sango pushed Kohaku to arm's length and wiped her face, a wide smile spreading. "Kohaku..." He blinked, rubbing his face. "Ane-ue, I--"  
  
He didn't have a chance to say anything more, because just then, Koyama appeared. "I hate to break up this touching reunion, but you taiji-ya are in my way."  
  
The old man eyed Kagome and gasped when he noticed the faint pink glow from her neckline. "The Shikon no Tama~? Not complete, but much bigger than the one I own..."  
  
He started for her, and Kagome began to reach for her bow but stopped herself. *I can't fight him; he's Hana-himesama's beloved sofu-ue...*  
  
Inuyasha stepped between them, Tessaiga drawn. "Get back, you dried up geezer, you lay one gnarled old hand on Kagome and I'll kick your wrinkled ass all the way to Hell!" Kagome put her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Inuyasha, don't fight him, he's Hana-himesama's grandfather!"  
  
"Kagome, he's either a demon or he's possessed by one! He's not her grandfather anymore!" argued the hanyou. And then, "That's right," said a woman's silky voice, "Koyama Mugihito is almost completely gone now. I've eaten him all up."   
  
Suddenly a ghost-like woman with long hair appeared behind Koyama's body. The demon bared long teeth at the group and Tama cracked her knuckles. "So you're an earth sprite, huh? What happening to protecting the forest?~!"  
  
"Worthless fucking humans are destroying my forest!" The sprite cried, "Humans are beasts. They come in and make their villages on youkai territory and then complain when they have trouble!! Countless demons are killed by Taiji-ya like you because of humans~!! I realized my forest was being destroyed but as a simple forest spirit, I couldn't fight back."   
  
She grinned, "But I got lucky. I found a shard of the jewel and it gave me the strength I needed to take over this worthless old body and strengthen my power. But you taiji-ya are in the way--"  
  
"Sofu-ue?!!"  
  
They all looked up, and the princess, Hana, stood at the foot of the stairs to the walkway, staring. "W-why...??"  
  
"Ah, my beautiful Hana-chan~" the demon said with Koyama's voice, and it rushed over and snatched up the girl. It ripped away the ceramic flower charm around Hana's neck and then tossed aside the princess, who was caught haphazardly by Kagome. Hana began to cry. "Sofu-ue, don't do this!!"  
  
"The energy you gave this shard, my dear Hana, is what fuels my beautiful flowers. Now I will be able to kill these bothersome taiji-ya~!" She retook Koyama's body, and the old man put the ceramic charm around his neck. Then his eyes glowed red.   
  
His legs transformed into roots, and dug themselves deep into the ground. His arms transformed into long, leafy ivy vines, and his skin darkened to a deep shade of brown, changing to bark. Tama charged first, slashing against him with her claws. "Dokka Tessou~!"  
  
The attack had absolutely no effect, only a few chips of bark shot into the air. Tama stared. "Dammit, a youkai sprite has that kind of protective bark--" The vines wrapped around Tama, lifting her into the air, and Kagome gasped. "Tama-chan~!"  
  
The old man swept forward with his vine-arm, and it swept aside Kagome and Hana, slipping around them without fail. Inuyasha grabbed at Kagome, only to have the Shikon no Tama's necklace rip from her neck. The sprite grinned with Koyama's face. "The large fragment~!"  
  
Inuyasha grabbed it to prevent the sprite from taking it, and the old man growled. "Damned human~!" He swung the other vine arm and Inuyasha dodged. Miroku grabbed the kits and jumped. Koyama's arm spread in a web, catching both kits and the houshi, and then the domed web dropped down on top of Sango and Kohaku. The sprite laughed. "Weaklings... even youkai taiji-ya are still... just human."  
  
Kohaku slashed at the vines with his chain blade, but the sprite hardened several vines into a branch and swung it. It clocked Kohaku in the side of the head and the boy collapsed, unconscious. Sango gasped. "Kohaku~!"  
  
Inuyasha stared up at the old man turned youkai. His brown eyes traced over the forms of his friends, sizing up the situation he was in. Kagome, Hana, and Tama were wrapped in vines, hanging in midair by one of the youkai's arms, and in the other arm, Miroku and the kits were tangled in a weblike dome that was closed over Sango and the unconscious Kohaku. Only Inuyasha was still able to fight.   
  
He breathed out angrily and then put the Shikon no Tama around his neck. Then he unsheathed Tessaiga and looked at the sprite. "Fucking fae," he snarled, "I'm gonna waste you~!" And then he charged.  
  
The sprite shot vines at him, and then wrapped around Tessaiga's blade, and Inuyasha grit his teeth. *Damned vines're stronger than they look--* He looked up at the old man's body while still trying to hold off the vines. *Where the hell is the shard? If I can get that I can drive out the sprite and I won't have to kill the old jijii--*  
  
Inuyasha glared up at Kagome. "Kagome! Where's the shard?!"  
  
The miko shifted, trying to look at the monster. She was hanging upside down, and the blood was rushing to her head, confusing her senses to locate the shard, but she managed to narrow it down a bit. "U-uh, it's at his neck..!! The necklace.. I think!"  
  
The sprite tightened Kagome's vines. "Shut up~!"   
  
With the fae distracted, Inuyasha yanked hard on his sword, and the sprite pitched forward a bit. She shot another vine arm forward with a roar, and Inuyasha pulled Tessaiga to the side, pulling the vines already around the blade up around him in a shield. Now, out of the sprite's view, he thrust the sword away from him and pushed backwards. *Time this just right~*  
  
The sprite pulled up the vines and saw only the rusted katana, and she frowned, raising one of her borrowed eyebrows. "Where--"  
  
"OVER HERE!"   
  
She turned her head to see Inuyasha leap from the side. The sprite cursed, unable to turn as she was rooted to the ground, and instead shot forward another vine.  
  
CRACK!  
  
Kagome and the others caught their breath, watching from their binds. Inuyasha and the sprite stood locked in a fatal embrace, both looking neutral. It seemed that neither had accomplished anything, until Inuyasha's face twisted in an expression of agony.  
  
"Got you," the sprite growled as Inuyasha gasped in pain. Kagome noticed why. The last vine the sprite shot forward had lanced through Inuyasha's right shoulder. She bit her lip, tears gathering in her eyes. "I-Inuyasha~!!!"  
  
Inuyasha grinned through his teeth, looking rather satisfied, and snorted. "So did I, bitch." The sprite gasped as the vine in Inuyasha's shoulder, as well as around the others, began to wither and she looked about her. "Wh-what?~!!"  
  
Inuyasha lifted his right hand and opened it. Glittering on his palm were the shattered pieces of the ceramic necklace and the Shikon shard, glowing brightly.  
  
"You..." The sprite glared at the wounded man before her. "Bastard..." The withered vine flopped to the ground and Inuyasha staggered back, his left hand closing over his bleeding shoulder. The sprite left Koyama's body, floating above them, and the old man, returning to normal, collapsed. The sprite bared long fangs at them. "I'll kill you~~"  
  
From the side, a flap of paper was slapped onto the sprite's trunk, and Miroku grinned. "Judgment~!" The talisman stuck to the sprite and fizzled, and she howled in pain. "H-how.... I bound him..."  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "ALL of your vines were gone, idiot..." With a look of horror, the sprite fizzled completely and disappeared. Inuyasha watched the o-fuda flutter to the ground and then his knees buckled.  
  
"Inuyasha~!" Kagome ran to him and knelt in front of him. "Are you okay?!"  
  
"I'm fine," he said, but immediately after, winced as a stab of pain and gush of new blood flowed through his fingers. "Unh.."  
  
Kagome pulled off the kerchief of her uniform and tied it around his shoulder. "I have two things to tell you. One, keep this on until I can get it cleaned, okay?" Inuyasha watched her and she looked at him from under her bangs. "And two... I told you so."  
  
"You told me what?" he asked, baffled, and she smiled. "...that you could protect me as a human."  
  
Inuyasha blushed and she laughed.  
  
~*~  
  
"Kumasan ga ip-pai~ ip-pai~ ip-pai~ Kumasan ga ip-pai~!" sang a little girl as she followed her guardians through the forest. They did not mind, as they had become quite accustomed to the child, which was strange in itself, since the trio was quite an odd one.   
  
One, the obvious master, was a demon, and he was a very regal, beautiful person, with long silver hair and robes of white, as well as a cloak of fur over his right shoulder. He strode in the front, a rather bored, bland expression on his face.  
  
Behind him was a minute lower demon, who hobbled behind the first. He carried a staff with two heads at the top, an old man's and a woman's.  
  
And behind him was the little girl. She was about eight years old, and wore a thin, worn kimono. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a side ponytail with the rest licking at her shoulders. Compared to her bland but dangerous guardians, she was bright and cheery.  
  
"Kumasan ga ip-pai~ ip-pai~ ip-pai~ Kumasan ga ip-pai~!" Rin sang again, dancing along behind Sesshoumaru and Jaken, and Jaken eyed the little girl strangely. "What are you singing? 'Lots of bears'? You are a strange child."  
  
"Rin is bored," the little girl said, "We've done nothing but walk for days now. Sesshoumaru-sama, where are we going?"  
  
"Going to meet someone," the demon lord replied shortly.  
  
"O~ka~y~" Rin moaned, and as they walked Sesshoumaru suddenly noticed a distinct scent in the air. A youkai, female. Watching him. He could feel her eyes on him. He narrowed his eyes in consternation at the sudden presence, turning to the trees. He saw a flash of red, but it disappeared immediately, and he was unable to see much of what or who it was.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken mused and the lord shook his head faintly. "Nothing."  
  
But he wondered about the woman. He knew her. He knew her scent. He did not know from where, but the scent was very familiar.  
  
He narrowed his eyes. *Like that worthless sorceress who worked for my father... Except vaguely different...* He stopped again, this time causing Jaken and Rin to bump into him. The pair backed off quickly though, as though their lord were on fire, lest he get offended and smash them to pieces.  
  
Jaken heard Sesshoumaru growl under his breath and his face melted into a expression of worry and fear. "S-sir....?? Sess-sess-Sesshoum-m-m-maru-sa-sa-sa-ma-ma-ma-ma....?????" he wailed, trembling so much that Rin eyed him carefully before looking back at up at her silver-haired guardian. He WAS acting strange.  
  
Sesshoumaru curled his lip in disgust. "I suppose then that *she* survived..."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
Tessen 


	16. The Scent of Azaleas

Chapter 16 revised (2.8.04) ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: ::still wearing her Inuyasha getup, nods at her little brother:: Okay, say the subduing phrase.  
  
Tessen's brother:: ::monotonous:: Sit.  
  
Tessen:: NO~! Like we practiced!  
  
Tessen's brother:: 'Tessen doesn't own Inuyasha'  
  
::Tessen slams into the ground facefirst::  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Sixteen :: The Scent of Azaleas  
  
Torou groaned as he worked his arm. It had taken four days to grow the damned thing back. He had required his grandmother's help, but as luck would have it she was incredibly angry with him for being so stupid and had prolonged the healing process for four times the length of time needed to regrow an arm, as punishment.   
  
As he worked his new joints and flexed his new fingers, the door creaked open. He looked up, expecting his mother, but instead, Kikyou entered the room. He lifted his red eyes to hers in surprise, and then narrowed them belligerently. "What do you want?"  
  
"I told Uramiko that I was coming to check your wound, but--"  
  
"Well I'm fine." he interrupted, and the miko snorted. "Good for you. That's not really why I came, fool."   
  
Torou looked irked at being called a fool, but narrowed his eyes at Kikyou's second statement. "Why DID you come, then?" The miko lifted her sleeve, baring her arm, and she gestured to Torou to watch as she lifted her claws --compliments of her demon soul-- and slashed her wrist.  
  
Nothing happened save a little dust spurting from the slash, which looked like she had cut through hard dirt, with clay underneath. Kikyou then knelt and took some dirt from the ground and packed it into the wound. It sealed almost like real flesh. Then she glared at Torou, who was unimpressed. "Like I thought. You know why this happens," she accused and he nodded.   
  
"But I don't have to tell you shit. I can't stand you, and helping you find your fucking way through life is not part of my job description." He told her this with a sneer, and Kikyou nodded. She rose and went to the door in a swish of black hair.   
  
"That's true. But then, I suppose I could stay here forever. God knows that if I knew the truth..." She turned to face him again, "If I knew what that Kagome girl had told me was true... that Uramiko is tricking me into staying... for whatever purpose, whether it be to use my strength or simply as a shield..." She paused.  
  
"If you knew...?" he pressed, and she narrowed her eyes. "If I knew it was true, I would kill her."  
  
Torou gasped in surprise. She started to leave, but, seizing his chance, Torou stood quickly. "Wait." Kikyou stopped but did not turn. Torou nodded at her. "If I tell you... who you are, how we found you, and all that bull... Would you leave?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Would you kill my grandmother??"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Sit down and I'll tell you everything I know."  
  
~*~  
  
"Kaede-baachan~!!"  
  
Kaede looked up from where she stood at Kagome's voice, as did the young woman next to her. The woman smiled. "Oh, Kagome-sama and the others returned." The pair of them blinked in surprise as Kagome shot past on her bicycle with a childish-sounding cry of, "Long time no seeee~~~~~~"  
  
She skidded to a stop and grinned. "It's been awhile, Kaede-baachan." She bowed her head to the young village woman in acknowledgement and Kaede smiled, ambling up to her. "It has, Kagome. I see you all are well and in one piece."  
  
"Well? Yeah right. Inuyasha's not a happy hanyou." Kagome turned to watch her brood head in. They had spent the last three days trekking from Koyama Mountain in Kouzuke back to Musashi, and had finally made it back to Kaede's village.  
  
Tama had taken to the front, as she still had her ears and nose, and she kept an eye out for things, and Tanpopo spent her time with Tama when she *wasn't* with Shippou. The two kits had bonded, and Kagome wondered if maybe Shippou looked at the older kit as a sister, since he rode on her head now and she never seemed to mind. She had stayed with them, despite her preaching about hating hanyous and humans.  
  
Speaking of sisters, Kohaku had taken to pestering Miroku, since the keen-eyed boy had noticed his sister's feelings for the monk and had gone into a very brother-like, defensive attitude about Sango. The houshi had apparently failed a major test of the boy's when he had talked Koyama into paying them very heavily for their services in freeing him from the earth sprite, and then turned around in the next two villages over and sold it all.   
  
Sango spent her time watching Kohaku and Miroku, laughing silently to herself when the monk got flustered by the twelve year old's insistent pestering, and Kagome spent a portion of her traveling time riding next to the former exterminator, chatting about how funny it was to see Kokaku demand an instant answer from the over-stressed houshi.  
  
The rest of her time was spent trying to cheer up Inuyasha. The hanyou had not transformed back into his normal self, and it was the fourth day he'd had to spend as a human. The wound he had received from the earth sprite hadn't healed completely yet, and so Kagome had been keeping an eye on that as well.  
  
She knew he hated being human. He hated feeling weak, and he hated not being useful, and she ESPECIALLY knew he hated that she was taking special consideration for him since he WAS human, because his exact words were "Lord knows you wouldn't worry about me if I had my demon blood," (although Kagome wondered where in the world he had gotten that idea).   
  
But as usual, he refused to talk about it; he just told her not to worry about him and went on brooding.   
  
Kaede watched the group head in, and met their greetings heartily, also warmly accepting Tanpopo and Kohaku's introductions. "Well, I wonder if you all are hungry?" she inquired after everyone had settled, "I expect if Inuyasha had his way, you've not stopped traveling since breakfast this morning, and supper just finished stewing."  
  
"Wai, wai~!" Shippou and Tanpopo cheered, diving into the hut and Tama, Miroku, Sango and Kohaku all accepted, turning to head into the house until they noticed Kagome setting her bike to the side of Kaede's hut. Tama blinked. "Kagome-chan, you're not staying?"  
  
She looked up. "Ah, gomen ne, minna, but I need to go home for a little while and restock on supplies. I should be back in a few days, okay?" Tama grinned.  
  
"Have fun!"  
  
"Fun? Hell, I'm going to relax~!" Kagome insisted playfully as she headed off, the others making way into Kaede's meager home. Tama pulled back again, suddenly realizing one of their group was missing. "Kaede-sama?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where's my idiot brother??"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome sighed when she saw what was sitting at the edge of the well, and walked over, tossing her bag down the well. "What do you want, Inuyasha??" Inuyasha's cheek twitched. "What's that supposed to mean??"  
  
"Well you're here for something, what is it?" she asked innocently, and he glared at her. "I was just waiting for you, let's go." She blinked, wondering if she had understood him. "What?"  
  
"I said let's go." he said impatiently and she softened, inwardly delighted he wanted to come.   
  
"You want to come?"  
  
"Is that okay?" he asked, his face softening into something like sadness. Kagome blinked at his expression; it meant something, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Loneliness?? Was he afraid of being alone?  
  
"Yes." she replied, fidgeting nervously. Inuyasha asking her if it was alright to come with her to Tokyo was almost like being asked on a date; at least, that's the way it felt. It was so odd to hear him with that tone of voice. She barely noticed the pleased grin he got before he turned it off and jumped back into Inuyasha-character. "Okay then, let's go."  
  
She looked up at him, reaching out and slipping her hand into his. "Let's go."   
  
"Wait."  
  
Both of them stopped at the sound of the third voice, and Inuyasha turned. At the edge of the forest was a young woman, with long auburn hair and blue eyes. Pointed ears and a fluffy kitsune tail. A youkai. The woman had a distinct scent, the scent of azaleas, and despite the fact that she had never once seen this person in her life, Kagome couldn't help but feel she knew her.  
  
"Who are you?" Inuyasha demanded, suspicious, and the kitsune reached back, pulling a long, wooden staff from her back. It was thin, about the circumference of a broomstick, but looked of hard, unforgiving wood. It was nearly double Inuyasha's height. But there was nothing to it, no metal weapon attached, no chain.   
  
Just a stick.  
  
The kitsune twirled the bo in a manner that rivaled any cheerleader Kagome had ever seen, and then she pointed it at Kagome. "I want your Shikon shards. The nearly complete Shikon no Tama that I know you have... Give it to me~!"  
  
"Tell me why you want it." Kagome asked softly, her face open and honest. The kitsune cursed. "I don't have to talk to some stupid human bitch trying to pass herself off as a miko. Just give me the fucking Jewel before I rip your head off."  
  
Kagome looked shocked at the sudden animosity, and in a second there was a red-clad arm barring her from the kitsune. Kagome looked at Inuyasha. His eyes had narrowed in that dangerous glow they typically got when he was angry. "I can't fucking forgive you for talking to Kagome like that, you bitch! You wanna fight someone, I'm here!"   
  
"Can you back up that big mouth of yours, little boy?" the woman asked, and Inuyasha kehed. "Damn straight. I'm gonna make you eat that staff."  
  
Kagome bit her lip, frightened suddenly. Considering the peaceful, kitsune form, Kagome would have thought the youkai harmless. But her youki was strained, as if her emotions ran high. On impulse Kagome grabbed the back of Inuyasha's gi, tugging him back. The human boy looked back at her, and Kagome shook her head. "Please don't, there's something wrong with her... she's not..."  
  
"Kagome, it'll be okay." he said softly, untangling her fingers from the dark red fabric, and Kagome shook her head. "But you--"  
  
"I'm going to protect you," he assured her, and gently he pushed her back towards the well. "So wait for me." Then he turned a gaze of pure steel on the kitsune, and drew Tessaiga. "You still didn't answer my question. Who the hell are you?!"  
  
"I don't have to answer to some worthless hanyou."  
  
Inuyasha flinched inwardly. How did she know he was hanyou? He was still in his human form...  
  
The kitsune charged, stabbing forward with the staff and aiming for Inuyasha's stomach, and he  
  
dodged to the side, swiping at the kit's head. She ducked her head, letting Tessaiga flow over   
  
her red hair harmlessly. She twisted her hands, and the staff swung, slamming hard into Inuyasha's   
  
ribs.  
  
Inuyasha gasped out loud. Broken ribs. Who knew how many, but he was sure at least one was damaged badly. He caught himself on his hands as he fell forward, flipping and turning in mid-air to catch a nearby tree and push off again, flying at the kit, aiming for her back. The nicked blade of Tessaiga slashed across her shoulder, and she cursed.   
  
She swung the bo and Inuyasha jumped over it, lashing out with his foot and landing his heel on her forehead. She let out a loud, frustrated cry as she forced herself back into a standing position and brought the staff up under his chin, and Inuyasha's head snapped back. A spray of blood went into the air.  
  
Inuyasha went down on one knee, and the kitsune kicked him in the face, slamming him backwards onto the ground. She stomped down into the hanyou's chest and Inuyasha gasped, the breath knocked out of him. Kagome ran forward. "Inuyasha!"  
  
"...stay.. there." She froze. Inuyasha rolled onto his belly, wiping the blood from his lip as he forced himself back to his feet. "I told you I would protect you. I'm fine." Kagome clenched her hands, biting her lip. "Inuyasha..."  
  
The kit snorted. "Hanyou are so fucking stubborn." She reared back and kicked him hard in the   
  
stomach. Inuyasha caught his breath, both arms hugging his stomach protectively, and the kit knocked him back to the ground, bringing her bo down onto his injured shoulder. Inuyasha cried out. She twisted it in the wound, making the human-hanyou writhe, and Kagome clearly heard her words. "This is for my child, who you fucking stole."  
  
She pulled the bo out of the wound, the end dripping with blood, and used her foot to roll Inuyasha onto his back. One hand clutched over his newly-reopened wound, Inuyasha opened his eyes at her. "What... what fucking child...?"  
  
The kitsune's eyes widened with fury and she slammed her foot down onto Inuyasha's neck to try and strangle him to death. The hanyou gave a small gasp of protest and both hands went to her foot, trying to push her off, but she didn't budge.   
  
"How dare you!!" she screamed at the man trapped beneath her, "How fucking DARE you not remember her!!! I want my daughter back, you son of a bitch!!!" She twisted her foot as if grinding rubbish beneath her heel, and Inuyasha gasped again, choking.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome swallowed. She had to help him. The kitsune was fast, faster and stronger than your average kit, and Inuyasha was still just human right now. Kagome could sense Shikon shards nearby, from the kit. One at her chest and one in the bo itself. Kagome had one arrow.   
  
One arrow. One shot that would save Inuyasha.  
  
Despite the situation --Inuyasha getting his ass thoroughly kicked-- Kagome was reluctant to fight the kitsune. There was something wrong with her attitude. She wasn't fighting just for the Shikon shards; that sounded like a plain-as-day excuse to get past her real vendetta against Inuyasha, whatever that was. And in her youki, Kagome could sense kindness.   
  
A mother's kindness. She could sense a mother's sadness at having lost her child.  
  
*My okaan ran off after my oyaji died. After she watched the man she loved suffer... she left me.*  
  
It hit Kagome like lightning. The kitsune's true identity. She threw down the arrow and instead ran straight at the auburn-haired youkai.  
  
~*~  
  
As the sun lowered into the western horizon, Shippou clambered up onto the roof of Kaede's hut to watch the golden orb find its earthen sleep. As he reached the top, he noticed Tanpopo already sitting at the edge. She looked slightly worried.   
  
Shippou peered at her. Yep, definitely worried. He sat next to her and snuggled against her, trying to comfort her in whatever way he thought possible. The older kit's hand found its way to his shoulder, and she rubbed it gently before sighing. Shippou narrowed his eyes, perturbed. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Tama-san ain't back yet from lookin' for Inuyasha no ahou."  
  
Shippou nodded and grinned. "It'll be okay, Tama can handle herself, no matter what she comes across." Suddenly both kits stopped short, their little bodies jolting. Shippou gawped at the air. "That's a kitsune scent!"  
  
"Not just kitsune," Tanpopo said, "That's the scent of azaleas..."  
  
"Azaleas...?? You mean tsutsuji no hana?" Shippou asked.   
  
Tanpopo's eyes softened. "Yes... tsutsuji... A flower called azalea... and my mother's name~!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Btw, just a reminder: okaan is "mother" and oyaji is "father" with that sort of half-assed Kansai dialect that Tanpopo speaks with. "ahou" is the word she uses for "stupid" or "idiot." (That's what she calls Inuyasha, "Inuyasha no ahou" ;p)  
  
Okie ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	17. Goodbye to the Fox called Dandelion

Hmm, now where were we when I last left you? Ah yes, Tanpopo smelled her mother, Tama was gone looking for Inuyasha, who was being strangled to death by a kitsune who thinks he stole her daughter. While this a/n is all very interesting, I bet you wanna read the chapter, huh?  
  
^____________^ Haff fun~!  
  
Disclaimer: X.x;;;;; ::twitch twitch::   
  
Tessen's brother:: She's still unconscious from her last disclaimer subduing spell.   
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Seventeen :: Goodbye to the Fox called Dandelion  
  
Tama sighed, pushing through the thick brush between a set of trees. Kagome-chan had decided to go home, but where the hell was her idiot brother? According to the others, he hated it when Kagome-chan returned to her world, so he had probably followed her to try and stop her. Tama was awaiting the inevitable "Osuwari" to help find her way to the bone-eater's well.  
  
She wondered what Kagome's world was like. She had never been there --only Inuyasha had according to the group-- but reminding herself of the young miko's clothes and some of the odd things she drew from her yellow pack, Tama imagined it was quite a world.  
  
Tama sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint her twin's location, and smelled him, as well as Kagome-chan and someone else. She jerked at the scent. *That is...!*   
  
A kitsune scent, which was essentially just the smell of wood and fox fur, but this one was different. It had the scent of azaleas. Azaleas, which Tama had never smelled anywhere else but in the lower region of Japan.  
  
She had come across them once. During her travels shortly after Inuyasha's "death" at the hands of Kikyou, she came across a young fox kit, half dead at the time. Tama, who had just lost her own daughter, had still felt that pain. The pain a mother feels when she loses her child.  
  
She snatched up the baby, who was no older than Shippou was now, and took the auburn-haired mongrel in as her own. That baby had the same scent of the patch of azaleas Tama had found her in. The same scent she smelled now.  
  
But that baby had grown up and gone home, home to her azalea patch, home to the west of Japan, and Tama was left with that pain of loss again. That loss which was once again mended over when they came across Tanpopo--  
  
--who was that baby's own child.  
  
Tama grit her teeth. *Tsu-chan~! You've returned!!!!*  
  
~*~  
  
"Please stop~!!!" Kagome threw herself at the kit, grabbing at her arm. "Stop! Please, let him go! Tsutsuji-san!!!"  
  
The kitsune stopped in her attack, eyes widening, and in that moment, Inuyasha shoved with all of his might at her foot, sending the fluffy-tailed creature stumbling back. The hanyou coughed, his body trembling as he sucked in breath after precious breath.  
  
Kagome helped him sit up, and he leaned against her, still coughing violently, his breath hoarse and raspy. He swallowed a few times, the bitter taste in the back of his mouth making him gag. Kagome looked up at the kitsune, who was shaking, her face stricken, and she looked as if she might burst into tears.  
  
"How did you know.. my name?" she demanded, and Kagome lowered her face. "Your daughter... told me. Tsutsuji-san, you're really... Tanpopo-chan's mother, aren't you?! Tsutsuji of Sakura Forest~!"   
  
"Or, Azalea Forest in western Japan, to be more precise."  
  
They all looked up then, and Tama stood at the edge of the clearing, her face taut. Her yellow eyes fell on Tsutsuji with mixed emotions, and Tsutsuji gasped. "..Ta... Tama-san...!"  
  
At the obvious recognition between the kit and Tama, Kagome and Inuyasha both looked irked, and they exchanged a glance silently as Tsutsuji raced over to Tama. The kitsune stared at the hanyou for a moment before she burst into tears and flung herself into the hanyou's open arms. "Tama-san!"  
  
"Okaan!!!" Tsutsuji jerked back suddenly at the much younger voice, turning to see a small tan-colored puff racing to her, and she reached out and snatched up Tanpopo as she bowled the older kit over, tears streaming down her face. "Okaan! Okaan!! You came back!!!"  
  
"I told you that I would! But when I returned to the village, I found the scent of this pathetic hanyou brat and those humans, and I just knew something had happened to you." Tsutsuji accused, glaring at Kagome and Inuyasha, and Tama narrowed her eyes. "Tsutsuji, apologize to my brother, he didn't kidnap Tanpopo-chan, and neither did the others."  
  
Tsutsuji snorted. "I will not. My daughter would never have disobeyed me. If I said stay in the village she would have. Most certainly she was taken--"  
  
"Okaan, please apologize to Inuyasha!!"  
  
The argument stopped almost immediately, and Tsutsuji looked down at her daughter. Tanpopo looked angrily at her mother, her little face covered with pride.  
  
"Inuyasha... he's a good man. A bit dumb, totally selfish, arrogant, rude and a hanyou to boot... but he saved me. Ever since the day I met him and Tama-san and Kagome-san and Shippou and the others... they've done nothing but befriend me! I'm glad I met them, and.. I'm proud to know them. I know you were just protecting me, but... please apologize to Inuyasha. And to Kagome-san."  
  
Kagome smiled. *Tanpopo-chan...*   
  
Tsutsuji glared at her daughter reprehensively. "Why did you defy me? I told you I would be back after I got the sacred Shikon shards from the west! I told you to stay at home. And you defied me."  
  
"I... I..." Tanpopo faltered, and Kagome stood, supporting Inuyasha.   
  
"She was lonely. She can't be blamed for leaving that place. You are the only one to blame."  
  
Tsutsuji turned to look at Kagome and Inuyasha, and Kagome nodded. "You left a child of only 7 in that desecrated village, amongst deadly youkai, and corpses. Alone. Of course she would be scared, and lonely.. . She left of her own volition, Tsutsuji-san. We didn't make her."  
  
Tsutsuji narrowed her eyes and looked down at Tanpopo. "You were lonely?"  
  
A nod. Tsutsuji breathed out through her nose, calming a bit, and she set Tanpopo down on the ground. "Then... forgive me, Tanpopo." She turned and looked at Inuyasha and Kagome. "You two. Sorry for the misunderstanding."  
  
Kagome deadpanned. *She doesn't sound incredibly apologetic...*  
  
"Let's go, Tanpopo."  
  
At that, everyone gasped, startled. Tanpopo looked at her mother fearfully. "Ok.. Okaan...??" The older kit nodded, eyes wide and innocent, the anger gone. "We're going home, so let's go."  
  
"Home?" Tama demanded, "Back to that village?" Tsutsuji shook her head. "No, of course not, Tama-san. It was destroyed by those byouma. I have nothing there except my husband's remains, which I intend to retrieve. And then Tanpopo and I are returning to the west."  
  
Kagome looked shocked. Back to the west? Osaka??? It was so far away. Little Tanpopo, their mischief maker, their heckler. Despite the girl's constant nagging and criticism, Kagome couldn't help but like the little brat. It felt... right, to wake up every morning and see two tan fluffs curled up together at her side. And Shippou adored her.  
  
Tanpopo looked hesitant, but in the end, she nodded. "You're right, we should go back to Osaka."  
  
"Back home, you mean?" Tsutsuji pressed, and Tanpopo nodded. "Yes, home..." Although the word didn't sound real.   
  
Wasn't home... wherever you felt most comfortable? She turned to look at Tama and Kagome and Inuyasha. Her family. Her family ever since that day they had found her. No, she amended, these people weren't her family. Dear, closest friends. But not family. Tanpopo looked up at her family, her mother Tsutsuji. "But could.. we leave tomorrow morning instead? So I can... say goodbye to Shippou and the others properly."  
  
After a moment, Tsutsuji nodded. "Yes. We'll leave in the morning instead." Tanpopo nodded, pursing her lips. She only had one night.  
  
One last night with them.  
  
~*~  
  
"NO!"   
  
Tanpopo bit her lip, trying not to cry as Shippou tugged persistently at her sleeve. "Tanpopo, you can't go away!! We're a family now, remember?? It's just you and me and Inuyasha and Kagome and Miroku and Sango and Tama and Kohaku and Kirara!! We have to stick together!!"  
  
"But I was only staying for awhile, Shippou, you know that. I was just waiting for my okaan--"  
  
"But... but..!!!"  
  
"If your parents had come back, you would go wouldn't you?"  
  
Shippou looked down, sniffling, and Tanpopo cheered for a moment. "I'll come back and visit you! I promise I will, so..." She hugged the little boy, sniffling in his hair. "So please don't cry."  
  
Shippou hugged her back, tightly, and sniffled. "I don't want you to go away, Tanpopo. It's like losing my Otou and Okaa all over again..."  
  
Tanpopo bit her lip, and hugged him tighter. "Shippou..."  
  
~*~  
  
"Ow!" Inuyasha flinched as Kagome gently applied an herbal salve to a cut on his cheek, and she bit her lip. "Sorry."  
  
"I'm fine," he said, and Kagome gave him a deadpan stare. "Three broken ribs, a little internal bleeding, minor contusions and bruises elsewhere, not to mention reopening your shoulder wound. Even for you that's not little injuries."  
  
He kehed. "It doesn't even hurt! --ow, ow..."  
  
Kagome sniggered as she finished tying off the new shoulder dressing, and as she helped him pulled his shirt back over it, she said softly, "You take years off my life when you do stuff like that you know." He looked down at her, "Do stuff like what?"  
  
"Jump up and protect me even though you're--"  
  
"Would you stop it with that?!"  
  
She blinked, looking at him seriously. Inuyasha looked mad, but he just sounded irritated, not to mention a bit hurt. His face softened. "You, Miroku and Sango believe in yourselves, you fight even though you're human. Can't I show you that I believe in myself even though I'm weaker than usual??"  
  
Kagome blinked. Then she frowned softly. "I didn't know you felt that way... I.. kept protecting you because I thought you felt obliged to protect me even though you're human."  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his dark eyes at her, and they seemed to darken even more. "You're not an obligation. I protect you because I want to."   
  
He reached up and rubbed her cheek with the backs of his fingers, and a dark tendril of hair slipped in his hand. He twirled it around his finger, his smile widening. "I protect you because it would kill me to see you hurt. I protect you because I love you."  
  
Kagome looked at him in surprise, and blinked then, laughing slightly. She leaned against him, hugging his arm, and sighed contentedly. "I'm glad you're okay."  
  
~*~  
  
As the sun rose up, lighting the sky a soft purple-blue color, Tsutsuji stood outside Kaede's hut, waiting for Tanpopo. The little girl was gathering her few belongings and she had them in a pouch over her shoulders, tied at her neck. Everyone was standing outside with Tsutsuji, waiting to say goodbye.  
  
Tanpopo walked out and looked up at the sun, which was a bright, white-gray behind hidden clouds. It would be rain soon, a big storm. She turned her eyes on the others, and Kagome walked up, bending over and catching herself on her knees. There were tears in her eyes. "Be careful, okay?" the young miko told the kit, "We're going to miss you." Tanpopo nodded, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.   
  
"I will."  
  
"If you need any help, you know you can always come back to us," Miroku offered and Sango nodded, "We would always take you two in, no matter what." Her comment was complimented by a high-pitched mew from Kirara. Tanpopo nodded again, and looked around. "Where's Tama-san and Shippou?"  
  
"Tama-chan and Shippou-chan... didn't think they would be able to handle you going. Tama-chan took Shippou-chan into the forest." Kagome said, averting her eyes, and Tanpopo looked down, disappointed. The two people she really wanted to say goodbye to were gone. She nodded. "Please tell them I said that I won't ever forget either of them, and that I *will* come to visit. Shippou didn't believe me."  
  
Kagome smiled. "Of course."  
  
As Tanpopo went to her mother's side, she looked up at Inuyasha, who was resting by the side of the hut, one arm over his ribs. He stood up, wincing a bit painfully, and walked over to the young kit. He stopped with her just at his feet, his shadow looming over her, and she snorted. "I know *you* won't miss me so I'll just say goodbye and get it over wi--"   
  
Abruptly he bent and rubbed the top of her head. "Don't get into any trouble you brat, or else I'll have to hunt you down and save you."  
  
She stopped in mid-rant. Brat. That damned nickname. Her bottom lip quivered, and she whirled on him fiercely, despite the fact her tears had begun anew. "I'm not a brat, I'm Tanpopo~!! Inuyasha no AHOU!"  
  
Inuyasha grinned and stood full height again, shrugging. "Go on, get outta here." But the words weren't harsh. And Tanpopo understood. Hastily she hugged his leg and as quickly as she had grabbed him, she had scampered to her mother's side. She turned back to look at the dear faces of the people who had rescued her.  
  
Kirara.  
  
Sango-san.  
  
Miroku-sama.  
  
Kagome-san.  
  
And Inuyasha no ahou.  
  
Quickly she said a silent goodbye to the missing pair, Tama-san and Shippou, and then she looked at the group who stood at Kaede's door. "Sa... Sayonara, minna."  
  
And then she and Tsutsuji headed down the dirt road towards the west, their shadows stretching out on the earthen road before them just as the first orange light lit the sky.  
  
Hidden in a nearby tree, a woman with wheat-colored hair watched the departure of Tanpopo and her mother with a wicked grin. "It is all going according to plan..."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: She didn't come in as a big charrie but she went out like one, didn't she?! I luff Tanpopo, she's fun to draw. ^-^  
  
Hey! And I managed some Inu/Kag fluff~!! ......::cricket chirp::..... I said that as if I NEVER manage fluff... (it would be more amazing if I managed Mir/San fluff Xx;;;;) But then Inuyasha is in his human form. He's sweeter in said form. When he turns back into a hanyou he'll go back to his demonic emotional defenses and get stupider with his blurbs and I can go back to sitting him without warning! Yaya! Lmao~  
  
Okie ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	18. The Truth about Tsutsuji

Disclaimer: ::sitting in a tiny padded room with a red straitjacket on:: I don't Inuyasha.I don't Inuyasha.I don't Inuyasha.I don't Inuyasha.I don't Inuyasha.I don't Inuyasha.  
  
Doctor:: She's doing much better~!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Eighteen :: The Truth About Tsutsuji  
  
Tanpopo sighed as she trudged down the dirt road. Okaan had returned, but how could she have left them? Shippou, Tama-san, Kagome-san and Inuyasha no ahou. Miroku-sama and Sango-san and Kirara. They who had rescued her when her mother had deserted her, who had become her friends when she was alone.  
  
Those to whom she had become even closer than to her father, whom she had adored. Closer than to her mother who despite her tough exterior was a good person.   
  
"Okaan, is it true that I can visit them sometimes?"  
  
"No."  
  
Tanpopo was floored. "What?!! WHY?!!" Suddenly Tsutsuji snatched her up, and Tanpopo felt her mother's claws at her neck. "Because you'll be dead soon enough, little girl."  
  
Tanpopo froze. In a moment she realized exactly what was happening. "You... you're not my okaan at all!!! Who the hell are you?!!!"  
  
"Very perceptive for a brat," said a voice, no longer her mother's, but different. The body holding her changed around Tanpopo and before she knew it, she was spun around and she was facing a woman her mother's height, but not at all like her dear mother.  
  
She had wheat-colored hair and cold red eyes. She was wearing a violet kimono, and simple woven sandals like Tama-san's. Her pointed ears and claws more than screamed "youkai."  
  
"I am the illusionist youkai Terrace, my little dandelion." the woman purred, and from a nearby tree, another woman, who looked exactly like Terrace, appeared. Except that this woman wore a red kimono and navy hakama, and she had a katana at her hip. She was carrying a pair of kodachi. "That," Terrace cooed, "is my twin sister, Terith."  
  
Terith smirked and then looked at Terrace and slipped the swords in at either hip between Terrace's thin obi. "Your kodachi, Terrace."  
  
"What the hell do you bitches want with me?" Tanpopo demanded, only slightly afraid. If she was lucky, someone would hear her if she screamed, which she planned to do very soon.  
  
"You, my dear, are bait for your friends. If they're stupid enough and caring enough about you, they'll follow you right to our mother's temple."  
  
"Your mother..." Tanpopo gasped, realizing what they meant, and Terith grinned. "...is the youkai miko Uramiko-sama herself."  
  
Tanpopo bit her lip, and in that one moment, her fear peaked. She screamed. "TAMA-SAN! INUYASHA! SAVE ME!!!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
The early morning calls of the waking birds, despite how pretty it sounded against the background music of the gentle breezes through the fluttering tree leaves, did not move Tama as it once might have.   
  
Tama was born a child of high-class, both her father and mother members of their own respective royal houses. But since their mother had died she and Inuyasha grew up as Shippou had been, a child of the forest. Both she and her brother respected nature and took solace in its symphony, but today she had lost a third daughter.  
  
She couldn't bear it.  
  
Shippou sat in her lap, crying quietly, sniffling every so often, and she would rub his small back gently, hoping to ease the sadness there. It didn't help though, when you try to comfort a grieving soul when you too suffer.  
  
So the pair sat in silence, understanding each other, when suddenly they heard her distinct soprano. "TAMA-SAN! INUYASHA! SAVE ME!!!!!"  
  
Shippou bolted upright, his eyes red and his face clammy from the intense crying, and Tama's matching features looked down at him. "Tanpopo-chan..."  
  
Shippou bolted into the forest, Tama hot on his heels. In one sweep she reached down and scooped up the kit, setting him on her shoulder as she burst into her much quicker hanyou speed. They reached the edge of the forest in time to see twin youkai women turn to face them, both of them drawing weapons. The one in red drew a long katana, and the one in violet drew twin swords, both about half the size of the other's sword. Tanpopo was unconscious on one of the women's shoulder.  
  
"Tanpopo!!" Shippou cried, and then turned his angry glare on the woman. "You bitch!!"  
  
"My my, both children have such potty mouths," the woman in violet cooed, "Where we come from, children had their tongues cut out for such language, and they were not allowed to grow them back for an entire week."  
  
Shippou growled, his tail frizzing up as he prepared to launch himself at the women, but Tama put a hand down gently on his head. "Shippou, you can't fight them. Go back and get Inuyasha and the others."  
  
"B-but!" Shippou whined but Tama ignored him as she pulled herself into stance. "Terith and Terrace... the twin illusionist sisters. I thought you two bitches were dead."  
  
The one in violet, Terrace, laughed aloud. "Dear, dear Tama-chan! You remembered us!!!" Terith cocked a grin. "We were so afraid you hadn't."  
  
"Terrace played Tsu-chan then, I suppose? Where's the real Tsutsuji?"  
  
Terrace grinned. "Well, since it was true Tsutsuji had the treasure of two Shikon shards, Haha-ue sent me to apprehend the little kit. And after taking her shards..."  
  
Tama's eyes widened furiously, "You killed her?!!"  
  
"Damn she's perceptive," Terith teased. Tama shook with anger. "You... You... FUCKING SCUM! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!"  
  
She launched herself at the pair, blocking Terith's katana strike and then bringing her foot up in a sharp dropkick. Terith went down, and Terrace flew in to take over. As Tama and Terrace went into a fast-paced exchange, Shippou heard the hanyou call out his name.  
  
"Shippou!" she yelled, "Go get Inuyasha!!"  
  
"But..!" The kit exclaimed and instantly she bared her fangs at him in nasty snarl. "GO NOW!"  
  
"Y-yeah!" he yelped, turning and speeding back to the village. Tama turned back just in time to feel one of Terrace's kodachi slide cleanly into her belly. She yelped slightly as Terrace ripped the sword away and grinned. "Where are you looking?"  
  
Tama let out a loud battle cry as she raked her claws over Terrace's eyes, and the illusionist screamed in pain, both kodachi clattering to the ground as she clapped her hands over her bleeding eyes. Tama grinned, holding her other hand over the heavily bleeding wound in her side. "Too fucking bad, bitch."  
  
"Yes, too fucking bad."  
  
Tama whirled on the owner the second voice, but not before she felt a painful chop to the back of her neck, and the world faded from view.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha stared at the empty road blandly, his face clouded with concern. The signs of a battle were evident by the scratches and kicks in the dirt, and the blood staining the dusty ground. But there was no sign of the wheat-haired twins Shippou had spoken of, or Tama or Tanpopo.  
  
Kagome bit her lip as she too surveyed the area. "..Where...??" she mused softly. Miroku and Sango, who had wandered into the trees around the road to look, both returned, looking grim. Inuyasha felt a stab of fear at the expression.  
  
"We found more blood, trailing to the north. It seems to be both Tama-chan's and someone else's," Sango reported, and Miroku added, "But no bodies. And the trail is very small; it doesn't seem like enough to be life-threatening."  
  
Inuyasha felt a wash of relief, a small one. The rest of him couldn't swallow past the lump in his throat. It was just Tama, after all. Just his stupid, loud-mouthed, bitchy, bossy twin sister. Why.. was he so... scared?  
  
He jumped slightly when he felt Kagome give his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze, and he looked down at her hopelessly. She looked calmly at him. "It's okay," she told him, "Tama-chan will be fine."  
  
Inuyasha nodded, and looked up at Sango. "You said north, huh? Let's go."  
  
~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru looked towards the sky, the slight wind ruffling him as he casually walked towards the blood scent he had picked up.  
  
The fact he had picked it up at all shocked him. She was dead, had been for 50 years. Unless of course, she hadn't died to begin with.  
  
50 years ago, his beloved younger sister Tama had disappeared. He eventually found her, but she was kidnapped shortly after by a pair of twins, to get to him. After a lengthy battle, he had killed one of the twins, but Tama was nowhere to be found. Not long after he gave up the search for her, he discovered his younger brother Inuyasha had been killed by a miko.  
  
Both of his siblings, his only remaining family, were dead. And Sesshoumaru was alone. As he always had been, but for some reason, knowing the twins were still somewhere in the world of the living had comforted him. Even knowing his annoying younger brother Inuyasha was living... comforted him.  
  
And yet now, he had picked up the scent of Tama's blood, trailing north. He had started tracking it immediately and left Rin and Jaken behind to await his return.  
  
Another scent bombarded his nose and he snarled inwardly. His stupid hanyou brother. His scent was different, as it was on those nights past, the night of the new moon, when Inuyasha and Tama became human. Sesshoumaru recalled those days from longs ago, when the twins were still very young, living at the den with the rest of the family, when their monthly change would take place. How aggravating the twins had been those nights. It was one of the several things he missed not.  
  
But, now that he thought about it, the new moon was about a week past. So why was Inuyasha still human? Besides a provocative circumstance, it didn't much matter to Sesshoumaru whether or not the younger man was still human. The provocative circumstance being that he refused to fight Inuyasha while the idiot was human. It was a waste of time, and not at all entertaining.  
  
He veered to the right a bit, and as his brother and the human brood he associated himself with came into view, he made himself noticeable.  
  
They reacted as expected, with alot of shock and unnecessary squealing. Inuyasha was the first to speak, with his usual snarl, minus the fangs.  
  
"Sesshoumaru, you bastard... what do you want?! I don't have time for this!"  
  
"Something happened to her, correct?" the demon lord asked, and Inuyasha flinched. Her? Oh, Tama. Of course. Sesshoumaru's beloved sister, the only one out of his extended family he had claimed. *I guess... he still thinks of her as a sister...* Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and nodded faintly.   
  
Sesshoumaru looked royally pissed off then, a low growl forming in his throat. "What happened?"  
  
"We don't know. Shippou said she was with two women with wheat-colored hair--" The hanyou-human was cut off by a sharp snarl from his brother. "You said... wheat-colored...?" Sesshoumaru growled, and he turned north, stopping after a few paces.  
  
"Inuyasha," he began, "You are no match for the people who took our sister. Stay back and do not interfere in my battle."  
  
Inuyasha looked irked as he always did when in the presence of his brother. "Are you fucking nuts?! Tama's MY sister, I'm going to save her! YOU stay the hell out of MY way!" Inuyasha yelled, and Sesshoumaru turned one eye to his little brother. "You save her. I don't care what you do. But I will kill the pair who took her. They are Tama's and my enemy, not yours."  
  
With that the lord disappeared, and Kagome blinked. "Tama-chan's.. enemy? What does that mean?" Inuyasha glared in the respective direction of his elder brother before shaking his head. "I dunno. But who cares. We have to save Tama."  
  
~*~  
  
Uramiko sighed gently as she tended to her daughter, Terrace, healing the younger woman's eyes. The illusionist youkai snarled. "That bitch, Tama... I'm going to kill her for this..."  
  
"Now now, don't be so vengeful," Uramiko cooed, "I plan to use Tama in a different way, and you also have a part, my little Terrace. You will enjoy it very much."  
  
Uramiko went to the corner where Tama hung, protected by a barrier. The demon miko took out five shards of the Shikon no Tama and inserted one into each of Tama's limbs. Then she pressed the fifth against the hanyou's forehead, muttering a spell the entire time. The unconscious woman jerked, her yellow eyes snapping open.  
  
Tama bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "You bitch... what... did you..."  
  
"Do to you?" Uramiko finished as Tama lowered her head, the transformation taking over her. Uramiko smiled. "I'm using the unpurified Shikon no kakera to draw out your sealed youkai blood. You are going to test something for me. The black soul that lives within your heart... Release her now."  
  
Terrace stared in horror. Tama's youki was much stronger, like that of a real youkai's, and it swirled around her in a great cloud. The hanyou's eyes glowed red as she glared up at Terrace. Her fangs jut out against her lip. The claws on her hands grew several inches longer. Terrace's horror gave way to amusement.  
  
"I think I will enjoy this after all."  
  
~*~   
  
Tanpopo opened her eyes weakly, looking around. She was sitting on an altar, hands and feet bound with rope and a seal to prevent her from trying to break the rope. She looked around. She was in a large shrine, and it was dark and empty.  
  
She wriggled a bit, trying to get more comfortable and failing. As she did she thought about events past. Her mother had been faked. She had been stolen by the daughters of Uramiko to be bait for Tama and Inuyasha.   
  
Secretly, in one part of her heart, she wished they would not come. She wished they would not come to save her, that they would stay away and stay safe. But the rest of her was screaming that she had seen Inuyasha fight, she had seen him do battle with all kinds of monsters and that he was tough, even as a human, and that he had damn well better save her.  
  
Her thoughts drifted back to her mother. If Terrace had been playing her mother, then where was her real mother? Was she dead? If she wasn't, would Tsutsuji ever know the fate of her little kit if Tanpopo were to die today...?  
  
The large doors suddenly opened and the wench with the katana, Terith, appeared. Tanpopo swallowed thickly, trying to be brave as Terith came in and lit all the candles. And with the room now lit, Tanpopo   
  
realized that she was NOT in a shrine.  
  
She was in a dojo. The room was huge, and the ceiling went very high. Candles trailed from the doors to the altar on which Tanpopo sat, and there was a nothing but hard floorboards in the middle. Perfect for a fighting arena.  
  
Terith cooed at her from across the room. "Little kit, are you scared yet??" Tanpopo, despite trembling, pulled off her best imitation of Inuyasha's trademark keh. "Yeah RI~IGHT," she drug out the word, "Like a stupid bitch like you could scare me!!"  
  
Terith shrugged and then pulled in a large stake, to which a silver-haired youkai was attached, bound to it by a barrier. She looked up and Tanpopo gasped. The youkai smirked at her, the pure pleasure at the thought of killing reaching even the redness of her eyes.  
  
Tanpopo gasped. "Ta... Tama-san!!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Uwa~! I've been wanting to do that for AGES!!!! ::evil cackle:: Please review~! It's good for the heart~ Like Reeses Pieces. Or Cheerios. Or ramen. Or Cherry Coke. Or Sprite. Or anything else that quacks your duck.  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	19. Blood Dream

Disclaimer: ::is finally released from the nuthouse. Takes two steps from it and grins:: INUYASHA IS MINE~~~!!! Bwa ha ha ha ha~~~ ::runs off like a maniac before "they!" can catch her again::  
  
BTW ATTENTION ALL READERS~! Uhm, I dunno what you guys consider GORY but I dun wanna get sued by some mother who let her stupid 9 year old read this and he went all Exorcist on her or anything~ so! There are (relatively) graphic descriptions of death scenes in this chapter. Nothing like the movie Final Destination but there IS ALOT OF BLOOD! (note the title of today chappie, ne?) If you have a great imagination to where you read "blood" and see seas of it and can't handle it GO AWAY~!  
  
Okie. Now if I get sued it's your own fault for not reading this.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Nineteen :: Blood Dream  
  
Terrace looked out from the top level of the shrine, the dojo. Within the mists below she could see slight, wispy trails where Inuyasha and his brood were coming in. She smiled slightly. "They come."  
  
"Why so excited, sister?" Terith asked in confusion, appearing from behind her, and Terrace fingered the hilt of the kodachi at her left hip. "You didn't know? Haha-ue has given us a small but important role in the tragic play that will be Inuyasha's death."  
  
"She has?" Terith asked, and Terrace laughed. "Mother's wishes... but first, just to give you a teaser..."  
  
"Yes," Terith pressed, excited suddenly and Terrace smiled. "Naraku-sama's beautiful Geneisatsu." Terith caught her breath and stared, her mouth dropping open. She seemed childlike in her excitement. "Really? For us?!!"   
  
Terrace nodded but then pursed her lips. "Unfortunately we would have to leave off the 'satsu,'" she added, "We're not allow to kill them." Terith pouted at that but then looked surprised. "Why?"  
  
Terrace just grinned. "It's all for our favorite pet."  
  
Terith clapped her hands together, determined, and went to the large window, throwing it open before she dove for the mists. Terrace smiled and then turned to the figure in the darkness that waited. "Be patient, my dear Tama-chan. Our guest will arrive shortly after your allies do." And then she too dove into the misty abyss.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dammit, this is annoying," Inuyasha snarled as he pressed through the bushes and the mist, being sure to not stray too far from Kagome, lest he lose her. Shippou sat snuggled on the miko's shoulder, and Miroku, Sango and Kirara were nearby.   
  
Over the head of the mist they could see the shrine, and it was huge. Inuyasha vaguely wondered where in the world he would even begin to look for Tama and Tanpopo before he felt a snag on his arm. He looked down at Kagome. "What?"  
  
"I just felt something run across my arm," she said, pawing through the air at nothing, and Inuyasha blinked. He saw absolutely nothing but mist. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"This.. thread," she insisted, and he noticed a leaf on a nearby bush seem to move when Kagome caught ahold of her invisible string and gave it a tug. Inuyasha reached out as if to touch when, from their left, they heard Sango's voice.  
  
"Ow!" Inuyasha and Kagome snapped up, trying to peer through the mist. "Sango-chan?!?"  
  
There was no reply. Kagome left Inuyasha's side and wandered into the mists, Inuyasha not far behind. "Sango-chan? Miroku-sama??" Suddenly Inuyasha felt something tug hard against him, tightening at his wrists, elbows, ankles and knees, not to mention a sharp, painful one at his neck. He gasped. "Kagome, stop, it's dangerous!!"  
  
"Inuyasha?!" She spun, eyes wide as Inuyasha was spread eagle in front of her, and he groaned from the stress. "Da.. Damn..."  
  
"Inuyasha~!" Kagome turned to go back to him but suddenly, she also felt her body being strung up. Inuyasha caught his breath when she cried out.   
  
"Kagome~!" He wriggled in his binds, trying to free himself, but only succeeded in tangling himself up even more. The mists seemed to worsen, gathering around him, and Inuyasha found his eyes drooping. *Damn.. mist..... I can't... I can't keep my.. eyes open...*  
  
"Sleep, Inuyasha," whispered a woman's voice.  
  
And he did.  
  
Terith and Terrace appeared from the mists, pulling their threads together, creating two large webs. In the larger one, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou hung, at the mercy of Terith. At the bottom, on a different set of strings, Terrace was allowed to play with Inuyasha.   
  
Terith smiled. "Now, you four will show me the most intimate depths of your hearts."   
  
Terrace smirked as she stroked Inuyasha's cheek, brushing aside a strand of his black hair. "Show me the things you fear most, and the pain you have endured which feeds it. Allow me to embrace you..."  
  
"Tonight the curtain will drop on the greatest play of all!"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome opened her eyes. She was standing in a clearing, surrounded by trees, the twilight filtering in through the leaves. She was alone, or she seemed to be, and she walked cautiously around, in case youkai were near. A sudden noise to her right caused her to jump in surprise, and her hands immediately shot back for her bow and an arrow-- which weren't there.  
  
She mentally cursed herself for not having her bow. Had she dropped it? Where were the others? She had been going to save Tama-chan, when she had started to feel sleepy... so where was this? A dream? Had she fallen asleep and was dreaming?  
  
"No, it's not a dream."  
  
Kagome turned. She was standing underneath the Goshinboku, and so was Inuyasha. His hair was silver, his familiar dog ears perched wary and alert on the top of his head. Despite the past week and his illness, the sight of Inuyasha as a hanyou didn't register as quite out of place, and she smiled, going to him. "Inuyasha!"  
  
She noticed someone appear from behind him, walking out of the shadows to go to his side. The person rested her hand gently on Inuyasha's shoulder and Kagome instantly reeled.   
  
It was Kikyou.   
  
The dead miko looked cold as always, but her face held a triumphant spirit that Kagome had never seen before. 'I won,' she seemed to say, and Kagome looked back to Inuyasha for an explanation. He looked at her with the same cold, emotionless eyes that she had seen on Kikyou so many times before. The same eyes he had when they had met that first day, when he tried to kill her. She bit her lip and then opened her mouth. "Wh... why are you... You're.. with Kikyou..."  
  
"What about it?" he asked monotonously, and Kagome felt like he had slapped her. He smirked, obviously proud of the expression he had caused her. "Stupid. Did you honestly believe that I loved you? That you, a mere replacement, could in any way match or better my Kikyou? Fool." Kikyou slipped her hand into his automatically, and he squeezed it gently.   
  
Kagome blanched. Everything she had feared was happening. Inuyasha had not only left her... he had never loved her. He cared nothing for her. The strength bled from her legs and she knew she had fallen, but it didn't register. She knew she was crying but she did not notice that either, neither did she care. Blankly she stared at the ground, and after a long moment she nodded. "That's true... I suppose I always knew.. that... you would choose Kikyou over me..."  
  
Kagome, wrapped in Terith's threads, wept silently. "Inu...yasha..."  
  
~*~  
  
Sango opened her eyes. She was standing in a desecrated village, and there were corpses everywhere. Bandits, it looked like. She caught her breath. "Where...?"  
  
She walked around slowly, looking for any semblance of life or someone she knew. Whichever came first. She wanted to call out for Miroku-sama or Kohaku, in case they were within earshot, but the thought that the enemy who had destroyed the village might still be nearby prevented her from doing so.  
  
She heard the rustling of something in the trees and brush around her, and turned. She saw nothing, but she did notice Kagome's bow on the ground, broken in half, the pieces still attached by the string. There was a large pool of blood nearby, and in the blood...  
  
Kagome-chan.   
  
Rather, what used to be Kagome. The girl's body had been butchered beyond recognition, and the only way Sango knew it was her was the short skirt that she knew had once been green. There was a small kit's body nearby, and Sango deduced it was most likely little Shippou-- he would never have left Kagome's side.  
  
If Kagome-chan and Shippou were like this, were the others nearby?? She had to know. She had to find the others and see if they were alright. Where was Miroku-sama?? Kohaku? What about Inuyasha, Tama-chan and Tanpopo-chan??  
  
Were all of them dead?  
  
She found Inuyasha near Kagome. The hanyou had been run through with his own Tessaiga, not to mention the long, clean slashes Sango noticed that he had gathered long before he died. There was something about those wounds she should know. She should KNOW those sort of marks; what kind of weapon made them...   
  
Searching a little further into the trees brought her to Tanpopo and Tama. The way their bodies were positioned, Tama had tried to protect the kit, and Tanpopo had been killed in the same swift motion that had taken Tama-chan's life.  
  
And Miroku-sama. The houshi was the most recognizable, as if the killer had left him alone after death just to tease the taijiya girl. Sango let out a terrible, anguished cry, collapsing next to him, clutching his robes in her hands weakly. His warmth had long since left him, and she found herself wishing he would reach up and grope her and tell her it was all just a sick, sick joke.   
  
She didn't know who, but she would hunt them down. Until the day she died, finding the person who had done this to her friends would be her first priority, killing him the second. She would kill them. There were no second thoughts.   
  
"Ane-ue."  
  
Sango froze. The one person who had not been killed. Sango silently prayed to any God that would listen, any God that still existed, that Kohaku had not done this. *Please, not Kohaku...*  
  
She turned slowly, and her eyes fell on Kohaku's small form. He was drenched in blood, his hands, face, legs... all of him splattered in it. His tunic front was soaked with it. And his chain-blade was still dripping with torn meat and fresh blood. The clean-cut wounds she should have recognized-- Kohaku's sickle. Of course. Only his blade would make so fine a cut.  
  
Sango felt the tears renew themselves at that sight. "Ko.. haku.. WHY?!! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!!" The boy smirked.  
  
"Sango, you didn't truly believe that simply killing my form would destroy my will?" The voice that came from Kohaku's mouth was not his own. The form of speech was not his.  
  
Sango's body shook with anger. "Naraku...!"  
  
The boy cackled. "Ku ku ku... of course. The evil that the jewel shard in your brother's back absorbed cannot be defeated, by any means. So of course Kohaku is still my puppet." He grinned.   
  
"Sango, you tried times before, but now I must know: can you really kill your little brother...??"  
  
Trapped within Terith's web, Sango whispered the name of her little brother.  
  
~*~  
  
"We did it~!" Kagome cried, leaping onto Inuyasha with a hug. The injured hanyou yelped in pain, and quickly followed up with a callous retort about how Kagome was to energetic for her own good and that if she "accidentally" jammed her hand in the nasty open wound on his chest he would have something to say about it after he regained consciousness. Despite that, Miroku knew the hanyou didn't mind as much as he put on. He too was relieved and animated, as they all were.   
  
Naraku was dead.  
  
Miroku sighed a breath of relief. The curse of his kazaana was over. The group stood in the tall grasses, the wind blowing gently around them. All of them were hurt, some more than others, and all of them were exhausted. Yet Kagome-sama, being the cheerful girl she was, was flitting between each of them, laughing and hugging all of them.   
  
"Miroku-sama~! We did it!! We did it! It's all over!" she cheered, hugging the houshi, and he smiled. "It is a good day, indeed," he intoned, his right hand sliding over Kagome's rear. The miko squealed and slapped him. It was a good day. They were alive.  
  
Miroku noticed vaguely that the winds were picking up. They seemed to center around him, oddly. There was an strange, uncomfortable pressure coming from his hand, the one with the kazaana. Miroku looked down at his hand curiously, just in time to see the rosary beads snap.  
  
The black light shone brightly, the winds becoming horribly fierce as the kazaana's seal was destroyed. Miroku let out a shocked cry. Naraku was dead, wasn't he?! Why hadn't the hole in his hand disappeared?!  
  
Kagome, the closest, was the first pulled in. With a scream, she disappeared into the black hole. Shippou flew in a with wail, too light to anchor himself. Sango and Inuyasha, too weakened by the battle, were tugged in too. Miroku stared at his hand as he felt himself being pulled in also.  
  
How did this happen?! Naraku was gone! But.. but...  
  
Miroku, at the mercy of Terith's illusion, cried out in his dream.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes and blinked vaguely. His body ached in various places, probably from the odd position he was sleeping in. He sat up, grunting as he did, and abruptly hissed at the prickly feeling in his limbs from the lack of movement. After the feeling began to subside the hanyou warily looked around. He sniffed a moment and realized his sense of smell was back. Testing his ears, he casually flicked one and then the other. Yep, he was a hanyou again.  
  
Inuyasha threw a miniature party in his head at the return of his youryoku and jumped down from the tree. Landing on the ground he stopped suddenly.  
  
He could smell blood. Thick, unmistakable. Blood and the scent of dead.  
  
The tree he had been sleeping in was the usual one that he slept in while in the village, and dropping to the ground he noticed the villagers, all dead. They were laid out all over the fields and the dirt roads, as if the village had been under youkai attack. Inuyasha stared, horrified. What in God's name...? What the hell had happened...!?!  
  
As he trudged through the destroyed village, looking for anyone who might be alive, he abruptly realized there were scents mixed in whose he knew. He sniffed again, hoping that the refreshment of the scent in his mind would prove his fears wrong.  
  
It didn't. He could smell everyone. Tama, Miroku, Sango, both of the kits' and Kohaku.  
  
And Kagome.  
  
But not in the village. Inuyasha broke into a run towards the scents, heart hammering against his chest, his mind reeling with one panicked mantra: "Please don't let them be dead."  
  
The hanyou collapsed against the Goshinboku, panting heavily. He pulled himself back up to a standing position and circled around the huge tree, only to stop again and this time fall to his knees.  
  
The six of them were laid out, the same as the villagers, all of them dead. Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku, and Tama with both of the kits. But he couldn't see Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha shuddered when he felt a drop of cold, wet SOMETHING trickle down his neck, and he reached back to touch it. His fingers came back into view, the fingertips wet with bright red blood. Kagome's; he knew the scent. He turned, his eyes tracing their way up the trunk of the sacred tree, and he looked up to see Kagome's body.   
  
Of them all, she looked the best; her head was still attached to her body, she was not butchered beyond recognition like some of the others were. And the killing blow was a mere slash in her chest. Her pale skin was not tainted, her small, beautiful face still and serene. But she was still dead.  
  
Inuyasha cried out her name desperately, the scream ravaged and grieving as it tore from him. He meant to bound up into the branches and bring her down when he noticed a bloodstained hand reach out from the other side, hidden by the thickness of the branch, and draw Kagome to its body. Inuyasha backed up a bit to look up into the tree and brutally rip apart the bastard who'd done this to Kagome, to his friends--  
  
--until he found himself looking into his own eyes.  
  
"Inuyasha" was sitting in the tree, his golden eyes blank as he combed through Kagome's bloody hair. The other hanyou looked lost, stupefied. He stared at nothing and everything at once as he cradled Kagome to him, the only movements being his hands, his hands which were covered in blood. He much resembled a dumbfounded child caring for a doll which would never live. Inuyasha blanched.  
  
"It's going to happen eventually, you know that, don't you." said a monotonous voice, and Inuyasha spun, whirling on the voice. A third copy of himself, this time human, looked at him with dark, sad eyes. "You'll do it eventually."  
  
"Do.. do what...." Inuyasha asked stupidly, and the human Inuyasha looked up at the hanyou in the tree. "Kill Kagome. Kill them all." He lowered his eyes back to Inuyasha and his eyes saddened even more. "You don't remember? Oh, of course not, you went crazy... Just.. Just look at yourself."  
  
Inuyasha looked down, at his hands, at his clothes. The front of his pants and his haori were drenched, soaked through the skin with blood that he hadn't noticed before.  
  
And it was on his hands. Kagome's blood was on him.  
  
Inuyasha reeled, slamming backwards into the Goshinboku as he frantically tried to get away from it. What the fuck had happened?! Why couldn't he remember anything that had happened??  
  
The only thing that came to mind was fighting. Fighting a losing battle, and there was no way out, and he was dying, he didn't want to die, and then he felt his body go hot inside.  
  
And then, nothing.   
  
Inuyasha slid to the ground. He knew. Of course he knew. He was the one.  
  
He'd killed all of them.   
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
He looked up. Kagome was standing apart from him, blood staining her face and the front of her shirt as she pulled back on the bowstring, her dark eyes hardening as she aimed the arrowhead at his chest. "You monster... how dare you betray us..."  
  
WHAM!   
  
Inuyasha slammed against the tree with a cry of pain, his hand clutching at the arrow she had shot into his chest. Kagome lowered the bow and staggered towards him.  
  
The purifying arrow was glowing brightly, sending shudders through his body, racking his chest with pain every time he breathed in. His eyes were blurring with the sleep that was waiting to take him. "Ka.. gome..."  
  
"Why... did you betray us?" Kagome asked, her voice sad. She looked so very much like Kikyou. Sounded like her. But it wasn't her. It was happening again. She lifted her face to him. "Is it destiny?"  
  
Inuyasha trembled throughout his soul, the pain in Kagome's voice tearing him apart. His vision blurred again, this time from the tears that filled his eyes, and he lowered his face. "It must be..." he whispered sullenly.  
  
Kagome appeared in front of him then. The arrow radiated more painfully with her approach, and he winced as the agony in his chest multiplied, both from the arrow, and the suffering he was enduring.  
  
"Then I suppose you know what will happen next..." she said softly, gripping the front of his clothes tightly. "You won't die alone... not ever. I'll be here with you."  
  
Inuyasha sighed softly as he let the darkness overwhelm him and he leaned his head against hers. "Yes... we'll go together."  
  
Wound in a mess of youkai threads Inuyasha murmured the name of the woman he loved.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Uh-oh, am I in trouble now?? ;p I bet I either lose half my reviewers after this chapter due to heart failure or all 100% of them are going to attack me with blunt, heavy objects. (Please dun do that, I cant post chapter 20 if you do that~! ^-^)  
  
Dun worry, everything'll turn out alright! I'm cruel sometimes, but I'm not an out-and-out sadist~ Stick with me for chapter 20! And please review!~!   
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	20. Battle to the Death

Disclaimer: ::kicks and screams as they drag her off the Crackpot Academy again:: No, really, Inuyasha IS mine~!! No, I'm serious!! What?! What?! You dun believe me?! It's the straitjacket, isn't it?! That's not fair! How dare you judge me by my clothing~!!!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Twenty :: Battle to the Death  
  
Inside the dojo hall, Tama was still trapped within her barrier, pacing, cracking her neck and popping her knuckles every so often in anticipation. The candles flickered with the thrum of her youki as she smirked towards the door, getting ever more excited with each passing moment. More impatient as well.  
  
She let out a loud roar, scratching angrily at the barrier. "Let me out of here, I want to kill~!!"  
  
Tanpopo was sitting on the altar, still staring at her friend. The hanyou was... different than usual. She was more like a real youkai. Tanpopo couldn't help but feel fear at Tama's new appearance; she was frightening.  
  
Her youki had increased, as if she were a true demon and not only half. Her eyes, once gold, were now light youkai blue, the rest of her eyes bright red against them. One violet stripe painted either cheek, and even her claws had become longer. Her very presence had changed, one from that of a sweet mother, best friend, older sister figure to a mindless monster.  
  
"Are you scared...?" Tanpopo jumped at the sudden spoken thought. Tama was grinning, eyeing her. "Don't worry, since you're a child I'll make your death as quick and painless as I can. If that's even possible..."   
  
The door opened suddenly and Tanpopo looked up. She squeaked in suppressed happiness at the tiny figure in the doorway. "SHIPPOU!!"  
  
The other kit looked up at the sound of her voice, and Tanpopo gasped in confusion. His blue eyes were blank of anything. There was no emotion, no acknowledgment, there was nothing. Like a doll. Tama grinned. "Aaaah, my first ally. Come here, Shippou."  
  
The kit scampered forward, the action empty of the usual emotions. No anger, no excitement, nothing. He hopped up to the altar and turned, facing the door again, the empty expression never wavering.  
  
Tanpopo stared in horror, before pulling herself together and fidgeting on the altar next to him. "Shippou! Shippou, wake up!! What's the matter!?!"  
  
"He can't hear you," Tama snarled, as she scratched against the barrier, said barrier crackling in protest when she did. Out of them she saw only two people remaining on Terith's web. "I need to kill......"  
  
Tanpopo stared. *What... what's going on?!!*  
  
She flinched then, as Shippou unexpectedly appeared in front of her. He was shaking. "Tan... I don't... wantcha t'see..." And then he reached back and landed a solid chop to the back of her neck, and Tanpopo gasped.   
  
"Shi..."  
  
As she collapsed against the smaller kit, her mind crossed one last thought. *For just a moment... that was the real.. Shippou...*  
  
~*~  
  
"Terith, are you watching this...?"  
  
Terrace lowered herself to the ground on a set of threads, smiling triumphantly as she viewed the dream she had inflicted on Inuyasha. The hanyou's body was bound with the same kind of threads the youkai woman was on, and she had them tied to her fingers, like marionette strings.  
  
"No, I'm casting kugutsu spells over here. You're so lucky you got Hanyou-chan," said Terith enviously. Terrace floated over gracefully, gently touching Inuyasha's face, eyeing him almost lovingly as she giggled at her sister's comment.   
  
"Yes, I am lucky! Hanyou-chan's as fun to play with as I had imagined! He has such a beautiful heart... So many fears to play with, I had trouble choosing! I so wish I could kill him!" She smirked, "But I will just have to be pleased with Haha-ue's plans for his death. "  
  
"Mhm," Terith agreed, "His death will haunt me from now to eternity I think!"  
  
"Mhm. There's nothing like watching a young man break." Terrace said, "Watching him live out the fear that is most deeply rooted in his heart... and watching it tear him apart."  
  
The sisters laughed as Terith completed the final spell and cut Kagome from her strings. Then she looked at Terrace as soon as the miko had disappeared into the mists. "Sister, release Inuyasha; all is prepared." Terrace nodded and pulled her kodachi, slicing the threads instantly and disappearing into the mists.   
  
After a few moments Inuyasha stirred, dark brown eyes opening weakly. They were blank for a moment as he woke completely. For a moment he looked around, trying to assess the situation, and his confusion was obvious by the expression on his face. "What the hell..." He turned within the gray fog, wisps of the cloud clinging to his clothes as he looked around. "Kagome?! Miroku?? Sango!!! Shippou!"  
  
"Mew!"  
  
The hanyou-human looked down. Kirara was sitting at his feet. "Kirara..." He swallowed thickly. Just Kirara? Where were the others?? Had they been captured? Before Inuyasha even had a moment to run, the miniature cat was engulfed in flames and she transformed to her larger form, nudging the hanyou onto her back and bounding through the blinding fog.  
  
The twins watched from above the mist until Inuyasha entered the shrine, and then more ladylike sister smiled wickedly. "Now... Let's go watch the death of Inuyasha."  
  
SLICE~!  
  
Something whizzed past Terrace's hand and she yelped, clutching her hand as her kodachi went flying. Terith looked up and then turned. Both sisters stopped suddenly when they saw their attacker. "Y-You!"  
  
Sesshoumaru came from the foggy clearing, narrowing his eyes. He looked around. The scent of his brother and his humans friends were thick in the air. He had been there until recently. The signs of Terith and Terrace's illusions lay on the ground in the form of their youkai marionette thread.  
  
"You made puppets out of them?" he asked and Terith snorted. "What is it to you?! You came to save that scum?? I had heard you couldn't stand your little brother--"  
  
The demon lord focused on Terith and Terrace. "I do. But I need not explain myself to you. However, I make clear to you one thing-- I came to kill you." He narrowed his eyes. "Especially you Terith, you bitch. I was certain I had killed you."  
  
"Bastard, now you know that you haven't." she growled, drawing her katana and he nodded. His eyes turned to yellow ice before her eyes. "Yes, I do. And do you know.. how much it infuriates me... to be proven wrong?"  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha cursed as he ran down the halls of the huge demon shrine, the pounding of Kirara's paws alongside him. Every so often he would come across doors and bang them open, searching the rooms for marginal seconds before flitting back down the hall, calling everyone's names all the while.   
  
And so far, to no avail. Inuyasha knew if the six of them were still alive they would've answered, so they were either not even close, or maybe they had already been killed.   
  
Suddenly there was pounding through the air, like a near-visible sound reverberation, and Inuyasha stopped so suddenly he almost fell. "Goddamn!" Kirara stopped also, mewing a bit, confusion present even in her animal eyes.  
  
Then there was a second one, just like the first, and Inuyasha realized it was youki. *Someone is concentrating on me...* he wondered to himself. He didn't recognize the person; it was too strong to be either of the kits, or Tama. In the back of his mind he wondered if this creature was the one that had captured his friends, and the same beast he may have to fight to win them back.  
  
*Minna...* Inuyasha turned back down the hall, heading up a flight of stairs he had passed earlier. *I'll get all of you back! Just please be safe when I get there...*  
  
The illusionary dream he had borne witness to had not, for a moment, left his mind. All he could think about was following this youki up into whatever room it beckoned, only to find his dear friends dead.  
  
But whatever subliminal message those two blonde youkai had been trying to get across to him, that he would be the one to kill his friends, plagued him. What the hell did that mean, he would kill them? He would never hurt them, no matter what. He knew that even in the very depths of his soul.  
  
*Even if my heart was gone... I don't think I could ever hurt them...*  
  
The hanyou-human followed the youki towards a wide corridor in the west wing after having gone up several flights of stairs. At the end of the hall was a large set of double doors, and the glow from flickering candles shone through the shoji.  
  
Inuyasha swallowed and went forward, throwing open the doors quickly. The room was very dim, but he could make out a thick square shape far into the room, almost like a table. Something was on it.  
  
In the middle of the room was one small figure, a woman. But the room was still to dark to tell who it was, and Inuyasha hesitated.  
  
From within the room there was an excited, maniac giggle. "What's the matter?" asked a female voice, "Don't you want to save your friends...?" Inuyasha jerked in surprise at the snarl. The voice was familiar, the owner's name on the tip of his tongue, but it was different somehow. Different from his memory. Kirara growled beside him.  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" Inuyasha demanded of the dim room and the voice seemed to laugh even more. "Just a youkai who was given the chance to be freed."  
  
"Where're my friends!?!" Inuyasha demanded, and at that moment, the room brightened, the flames of the hundreds of candles seeming to swell, turning the room from a dim black to a bright orange.  
  
It was a huge room, the ceiling high and crossed with rafters. A perfect hiding spot for youkai. The candles were all over the place, warranting the brightness of the room. They were on the floor, in the ceiling, on the walls.  
  
At the far end was a large altar, and several sticks of incense were lit. Tanpopo was lying in the middle, hands and feet bound and sealed with ofuda, either dead or unconscious. The black figure in the middle of the room he had noticed before came into view and Inuyasha swallowed thickly, relieved beyond words.   
  
She stood unwaveringly, her head down, but otherwise she seemed fine, and instantly Inuyasha rushed in, ignoring the fact that the doors slammed shut behind him of their own volition. "Kagome! Are you alright??"  
  
The moment he spoke, Kagome flinched, as if she had been asleep and hearing his voice had woken her. One hand reached back to slide her bow off her back, and pull an arrow. She set the tip to the bow, raising it until the arrowhead was pointed at his chest. Inuyasha halted in his tracks, skidding across the smoothly polished wood floor, not comprehending the action. "Kagome..."   
  
The miko looked up then, the bow shaking uncontrollably, and her blank eyes locked with his, filling with huge tears. Inuyasha reeled. *Wh-what...?!!*  
  
"..Inu.. ya.. Run... away..." she forced out, and Inuyasha took a few steps back. "Kagome..." Just as it seemed she would release the arrow, Inuyasha felt something big and heavy --Kirara-- slam into him and he fell to the floor, the big cat still looming over him protectively. Kagome still had enough control over her body to release the arrow harmlessly into the nearby wall, but she collapsed to her knees immediately, still shaking.  
  
Inuyasha rolled back to his feet when he heard Kirara mew. The big cat sounded terribly sad. He heard the padding of sandals against the hardwood flooring and looked up to see Sango, holding Hiraikotsu defensively, her brown eyes were unfocussed and blank. And then, she raised the boomerang up over her head.  
  
"Sango!" he gasped, dodging the strike. The bone weapon slammed down into the floor, missing him entirely, and Inuyasha swept his leg at her feet, knocking the taijiya to the ground. Sango didn't moan or utter a word, she simply looked annoyed and worked herself back to her feet, following back after Inuyasha with the same blank look as before.  
  
As he got to his feet, Inuyasha felt a painful jab at his injured shoulder, and twisted to see Miroku glaring at him blindly, the monk not recognizing him at all. Shippou was sitting on his shoulder, the fox's young face also detached. Miroku twisted his shakujou deeper into the hanyou's shoulder and Inuyasha yelped, swinging his arm horizontally and catching the side of Miroku's own shoulder. "Miroku, what the hell are you doing!?!"  
  
At the disruption of his fragile balance on Miroku's shoulder, Shippou bounced off, taking slight air to throw out his hand and catch the side of Inuyasha's face with kitsunebi and Inuyasha grabbed the front of Shippou's shirt, carefully throwing him to the side. The kit crumpled momentarily, but like Sango was up again and trudging after him.  
  
The hanyou yelped as he turned only to find Miroku at his throat, literally. The houshi had dropped his shakujou and now both hands were wrapped around Inuyasha's neck, squeezing ever so slowly.   
  
Inuyasha grasped his friend's hands, tugging at them in an attempt to pull him off, but the monk seemed physically stronger than his typical self. So strong that even Kirara, who was tugging on the back of the monk's robes, was having trouble pulling him off.  
  
*They're being controlled! Someone's making them fight me for their own amusement~ I gotta get him off me!* He looked up at Miroku's blank face. "Mi.. Miroku.. you bastard, don't let yourself be... controlled! Wake...Wake up, Miroku~!"  
  
Inuyasha saw something flash across Miroku's face; his eyes wavered in shock for only a moment. The hands that threatened to strangle the life from him were loosened and Inuyasha fought one thumb underneath Miroku's hands, grabbing for air and brought his knee up against Miroku's stomach, pushing the other man off. The houshi clung loosely to him, but overall the intent to kill was gone. Inuyasha blinked. "Miroku...?"  
  
"You.. stupid idiot... you should have... run away..." the houshi growled before the stupefied expression reappeared and Miroku relaxed, his hands tightening around Inuyasha's throat again. Inuyasha struggled against him again, this time breaking free before the monk had a chance to really get serious.  
  
He pushed himself back, bounding a few steps to put some distance between himself and his attackers. During Miroku's assault, Sango and Shippou had hung back, as if patiently waiting, but now seeing that Miroku had failed, the two of them were back to the fight, joined by Miroku and advancing on him like mindless pawns.  
  
Kirara leapt forward, trying to fight off Sango without hurting her, but the taijiya simply swung the boomerang and Kirara flew, rolling on the ground and sliding to stop a little later. Inuyasha yelped her name, dodging Miroku's shakujou all the while.   
  
Then, as if suddenly remembering, Inuyasha glanced at the middle of the room to Kagome. The miko was still on the floor, trembling as she reached for the bow she had dropped. Inuyasha knew it wasn't Kagome reaching for the bow, it was whoever was controlling her, the same way the others were being manipulated.   
  
He pulled out Tessaiga, still in its sheathe, and used it as leverage, sweeping beneath Sango and Miroku's feet. The move sent the pair crashing to the floor on top of each other, and Inuyasha leapt over them, landing next to Kagome.  
  
He grabbed her shoulder, trying to make her look up at him. "Kagome! Kagome, it's me! Wake up!"  
  
"Run.. away..." she pleaded, "They.. don't know it's you..! They'll kill you...!" Inuyasha grit his teeth. "I can't run away! I can't just fucking leave you guys here!"  
  
"Please..." her voice broke as she closed her hand around the bow shaft, "I'm losing control again..."  
  
"Kagome, hang in there!!!" He gasped in pain suddenly, the crunch of bone echoing against his eardrum. He lifted his left hand, the fingers making contact with his right arm and sending zings of pain throughout the broken limb, which hung limply at his side. Blood soaked through his shirt to his haori from the broken skin and Sango narrowed her eyes as she pulled Hiraikotsu away from his arm, lifting it over his head to bring it down again.  
  
Inuyasha yelped as Kirara timed it perfectly, grabbing the back of his clothes in her teeth and leaping backwards. Again, the boomerang slammed into the floor harmlessly, but this time Sango had done some damage. His right arm was broken. His right shoulder had already been banged up before, making the use of his arm difficult, but now it was impossible.   
  
As he watched Miroku and Sango turn towards him like zombies, Kagome stood, her movements smooth and unhindered, and she lifted the bow and set another arrow to it. Inuyasha cursed silently. He couldn't fight them. They were being controlled, directed like life-size puppets, and commanded to kill him like a trained animal, but it was still Miroku, still Sango, and still Shippou. It was still Kagome.  
  
From another room, Uramiko watched the events unfold in a water mirror. "What will you do, Inuyasha? If you do not fight, you will be killed by your friends. But if you do, you will have to kill them. So what will you choose?"  
  
Inuyasha leaned against Kirara to pull himself to his feet. *Damn... what the hell do I do now??*  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: This was such a fun chapter to write, and if not for a splash page in volume 11 it never would've happened. The splash for chapter 6, "Kokochuu" in volume 11 features Inuyasha and a particularly drugged-looking Miroku, and I thought "He looked possessed" thus the image of possessed everyone came to mind and this chapter was born. ::does best impression of Mandark from Dexter's Lab:: Bwa haha, bwa haha haha! Bwa haha, bwa haha haha! ;p  
  
Please review, it encourages the writing of more chapters. 'specially since we're only about halfway through now. ^_________________________^ Yeah you heard me, 20 chapters and about 1/2 through. I toldja, this is my epic.  
  
Okie ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	21. Cured

Disclaimer: ::eyebrow twitches as she looks around at the padded room, part two:: I'm not crazy, really. I just luff Inuyasha.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Twenty-One :: Cured  
  
Inuyasha slammed against the wall with a yelp, his breath ragged and short as he slid to his knees, his remaining strength barely enough to stay conscious, much less hold him up. The wounds he had already sustained from the fake Tsutsuji were slowing him down, and while he was thankful for his instincts which were helping him to move, without his youkai reflexes he was off anyway.   
  
He pushed at the floor with his left arm, eventually working himself back to his feet, and he lifted his face to his attackers. His friends.  
  
Not a single one of them, Sango, Miroku, Shippou or Kagome, had a single scratch. The hanyou refused to touch them. They were fighting him with the intent to kill, yet he could not raise his hand to fight back. At the most he had managed to hold them off for a little while, long enough to catch his breath, but hurt them? He couldn't.   
  
How could he hurt his friends, the only family he'd ever known? To even try to defend himself he would have to go at them with everything.  
  
He was thankful for Kirara as well; the big cat was a good fighter as well, but she was in the same predicament he was. She could do no more than hold them back; hurting any of them would be going against everything that cat was made for.  
  
So he took their attack head on, kicking them off when he could, but they were slowly wearing him down, and his reserves were spread very thin.  
  
There had been moments when Miroku, Sango or Shippou were close to the surface, and the most they ever managed was a flicker of imploring in their eyes. Kagome, the strong girl that she was, had been clinging to her control as long as she could, going through several brief interruptions in her attack on him to also plead with him to run. Run, run, they always wanted him to run away. Inuyasha cursed silently.   
  
*Che, that's fucking nonsense... I can't run away... I can't leave you guys like this...! I can still...*  
  
He collapsed to the floor, face down, the cool of the hard wood against his face. His vision was fading as he helplessly grasped at the wood, trying to push himself back up. *Damn... I've lost too much blood... I.. I can't...*  
  
He noticed Kirara take a place in front of him, shielding him, but the crack of bone against bone and a loud roar alerted him to the fact Kirara had been moved aside, rather painfully. Then he heard Kagome's cold, monotonous voice.  
  
"Hold him."  
  
He felt Miroku's hand dig into his hair and drag him to his knees, and Kagome's blank brown eyes stared through him as she leveled the tip of an arrow at his throat. "Now. Die."  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes, relaxing. Sango smirked. "Look at him. So pathetic. He can't even raise his fist in one last futile attack. Worthless."  
  
"That's not it."  
  
The four of them blinked, staring down at the human crumpled before them. Inuyasha lifted his head, his breathing shaky and ragged. "It's just that.. I can't fight you. I never could... And I don't care what anyone thinks about me anymore... but I can't kill any of you. I can't fight my friends…!"  
  
The four of them stared at him, and only the tears in Kagome's eyes let him know how close she was, how she had heard.   
  
Uramiko frowned from where she watched. She had not expected him give in so willingly. She had hoped for the same thing Naraku had wished for: that Inuyasha alone would pray to live, and kill his friends with his own hands. She had hoped his dormant youkai blood would awaken for this reason. *I must have overestimated him. So this is what you've chosen... Inuyasha?*  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes, waiting for the blow that would kill him.  
  
~*~  
  
"Shit shit shit~!!"   
  
Terrace planted her foot down and shoved hard against Sesshoumaru, but the demon lord didn't budge, and he pushed her back, slicing at her with Toukijin. Terrace leapt back as Terith dove in, slicing at Sesshoumaru. The man snorted, almost amused, and disappeared from sight.  
  
"Che~ where the hell did he go?"   
  
"How do you intend to fight what you cannot see?"  
  
Terith looked up in time to block Sesshoumaru's swing, but not the sword's kenatsu, and she was busted up fairly well. Angry and dripping with blood from the dozens of wounds, she kicked at him. Sesshoumaru disappeared again, this time landing behind her and sweeping her legs out from underneath her. Terith went down and rolled back to her knees, swiping across Sesshoumaru's legs. Blood spurted from the wound, and Sesshoumaru eyed it casually, unruffled by it.  
  
Terith smirked, and then sheathed the katana and clasped her hands, muttering incoherent spells. Suddenly the one illusionist facing Sesshoumaru became one plus 9. Ten wheat-haired, red clad woman unsheathed ten katana at once, staring down the white-haired man with a murderous energy.  
  
"What do you think now, you worthless dog?!" they demanded, and Sesshoumaru sighed softly, sheathing Toukijin at his side.   
  
"I think that you have not added anything new to your bag of magician's tricks in the last 50 years... because you tried this very thing when we fought before..." With that, Sesshoumaru cracked his knuckles and then spun in a complete 360 circle, the force from his claws slicing off six heads at once.  
  
The other four Teriths looked surprised as Sesshoumaru slowed, his eyes glinting a very dark gold, "...And I defeated you then." he finished.  
  
Behind him, Terrace prepared to attack, and just as she sprang forward to slice down Sesshoumaru's back, he calmly thrust his hand down on the hilt of Toukijin, the blade coming up in the back. The youkai woman sprang right into it, and the blade crunched even through the bones of her ribs and spine.  
  
The remaining four Teriths cried out their sister's name and swiftly Sesshoumaru drew his blade, forcing Terrace to slide off and fall ungracefully to the ground. Sesshoumaru turned to face her. "Fool. Your power has weakened these last fifty years."  
  
In a flash, she was up and swiping at him, but faster than she could see, the other demon jumped clear and as he came back down he kicked her in the face and Terrace went down again.   
  
Terrace sat up, wiping the blood from her nose and mouth in frustration. The four Teriths lunged for Sesshoumaru, and the lord leapt backwards, swinging Toukijin. It took out three of the Terith's, leaving only the original and Terrace, and they heard the sheer noise of metal being broken.   
  
Terrace stared at the damaged hilt as the disconnected blade of her kodachi went pinwheeling into a nearby tree, burying itself in the bark. Sesshoumaru looked down at her, his eyes taking on a murderous gold sheen over the yellow amber. "Do you want to run? Or may I just end the game here and kill you now?"  
  
And then he disappeared.  
  
Terrace screamed, realizing she didn't know where he was, and she backpedaled, her sandals scraping against the dirt as she attempted to get away, when something --shockingly about the size of a human head-- was suddenly dropped into her lap from behind her.   
  
The bloody wheat-colored hair told her exactly what it was, and she shoved at Terith's severed head with a choked whimper, trying to get it off of her lap.  
  
"She was stronger, but no faster," Sesshoumaru said, sounding enthused, and Terrace screamed.  
  
~*~  
  
The blow he was waiting for never came.  
  
Inuyasha opened his eyes, his wavering vision falling on Kagome. Her bow shook as she tried hard to go through with the deed she had decided was hers. And then it happened.  
  
It flashed across Kagome's face first. She stared at him open-mouthedly, the shock of being told by an enemy that he could not kill you changing to instant recognition, not only of who he was but what she'd done, and her eyes flickered between guilt and horror.   
  
The bowstring relaxed, she dropped the arrow and the bow, and dropped to her knees, yanking Miroku off the hanyou and pushing him aside as the houshi also got ahold of himself, and gathered Inuyasha's shoulders in her arms, his head catching against her shoulder.  
  
"Inuyasha~!!"  
  
There was a loud clatter when Miroku dropped his shakujou, almost dazedly staring at the blood on his hands, none of which was his own. Sango gasped, kneeling next to him also. "Inuyasha, are you..."   
  
"Inuyasha!" Shippou hugged the hanyou's knee, weeping and wailing loud enough to deafen a normal person, and Inuyasha looked up at the others weakly, still leaning into Kagome's embrace. "Minna... you're all..."   
  
He left the sentence trailing in the air when Sango put her arms around his neck also, and he felt Miroku's hand rest gently on his shoulder, almost apologetically. All he heard was Kagome's voice. "I'm sorry... I'm so so sorry..."  
  
After a bit he lifted his good arm, holding her back. "It's okay..." he said softly, "I'm just glad you're back to yourselves..."  
  
For a long moment the five of them sat huddled together, each one of them clinging to Inuyasha and apologizing in their own way, until the female voice from before broke in.  
  
"Che, this happy family bullshit makes me sick."  
  
Kagome turned and Inuyasha lifted his eyes to look at the woman who spoke. His face, ashen from the loss of blood, paled even more at what he saw before him.  
  
Tama, his beloved twin, stood cracking her knuckles, her eyes bright red, a purple stripe on either cheek. She snorted. "I'll put you out of your misery, you worthless human. Prepare yourself."  
  
Inuyasha stared, and Kagome barely formed her name. "Tam.. Tama-chan!"  
  
The hanyou snarled, raking her hand through the air horizontally in a demonstration of anger. "Don't talk to me like you know me!   
  
"H-how... she transformed...!" Sango cried, and Miroku nodded. "As Inuyasha's twin, it would seem she has that ability as well..."  
  
"Tama..." They looked up at Inuyasha, who was standing, struggling to walk. The youkai female snarled when she saw him approach, but Inuyasha was undaunted. "Tama, don't... You can.. break the transformation..." He collapsed then, and Kagome grasped at him.   
  
"Inuyasha~!"   
  
Shippou scampered over, examining the hanyou with a glance, and then sighed. "He's okay, he just fainted," then he looked up at Tama. "But we're in a lot more trouble... Tama's not gonna back down."  
  
As if in response, the youkai simply growled, and then she launched herself at them. Kagome yelped, having to be tugged away by Kirara. Tama swirled to face them again with a roar.   
  
Kagome gasped. *The deterioration of her mind is much faster than Inuyasha's... He had transformed several times before he didn't recognize us... but Tama-chan...!* She yelped again as Tama's claws smashed through the wood of the floor, pieces and splinters flying up. "Yaah!!"  
  
Sango blocked a claw slash with her Hiraikotsu, turning the youkai aside and kicking her off, and Tama rose again, furious. With a growl she rushed Sango and in an instant Miroku was there, pushing Sango out of the way.  
  
On her back on the floor, Miroku on top of her, Sango stared up at him in surprise. "Miroku-sama..."  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded. She pushed against his arm to sit up and he winced. There was something warm and wet on his sleeve. Sango pulled her hand away and glanced down at her palm. It was bright red. She stared at him. "Miroku-sama!!"  
  
"I'm alright, it's a small wound..." he assured her, helping her to her feet, and Sango bit her lip. "Don't do things like that! It would be stupid if we beat Naraku and beat your curse only to lose you now!"  
  
Miroku grinned. "Don't worry, Sango, I'll be here with you for a long time yet." She blushed slightly, but her face twitched in aggravation at a familiar feel on her butt.  
  
SLAP!  
  
Kagome, Shippou and Kirara watched, one eyebrow raised each, as Miroku and Sango's conversation continued.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"I can't help myself!"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!"  
  
Kagome turned her mind back to the fight. Tama was still chasing them, her growls and snarls not unlike Inuyasha's when he had done the same thing before. Kagome bit her lip. *What do we do...?? Tama-chan will...*  
  
She gasped suddenly. *Wait a minute, aren't those... Shikon shards....??* She looked closer at Tama. Five shards, one in each leg and one in each hand. The fifth was on her forehead, and it was bright red. Kagome gawped. *Like me and the others, Tama-chan is being controlled~!!!*  
  
Kagome pulled out an arrow and bit her lip. *If I can aim near her head, the aura of my arrow might be able to purify the Shikon shard on her forehead... and it would break the spell!*  
  
She fired, and the arrow shot past. The aura connected however, creating a small lavender cloud around Tama's head. The youkai roared in pain, clawing at the shard, and it fell, hitting the floor with a bounce. Kagome cheered. "I did it!"  
  
Tama stopped, turning towards Kagome. The miko blinked. "Uh... what...??"  
  
Tama's face was a picture of animalistic fury. Her eyes seemed to glow an even brighter red, and she bared her fangs, rushing at Kagome. With the first slash she knocked away the bow, and the second of hesitation Kagome had was enough for her to reach out and grab the miko around the throat.  
  
Kagome cried out. "Tama-chan! Stop, please!!"  
  
Tama growled at her.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and screamed. "INUYASHA~!!"  
  
~*~  
  
It was dark, which was good. He liked the darkness. When he was asleep, the light bothered him. Ofukuro used to leave a candle lit when he was a child, but he hated that. He would put it out when she left the room.  
  
But he was cold, and it hurt. Everywhere just hurt. His arm was stiff and if he moved, sparks of pain shot through the limb. He felt so weak. Drained of his life's blood, as if he could die any moment, when he suddenly felt a surge of power.   
  
It welled up from his chest, his heartbeat steadying as the power reached out to the pads of his feet, stretching out to his fingertips. And further. His fingernails were growing. There was a tingling all around him as a warm energy surrounded him. His arm seemed to straighten itself out, and the pain subsided. It still hurt, but not agonizingly as it had before.  
  
*Get up. I have to get up now.*  
  
His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up, examining his hands. He had his claws back. A shock of silver hair fell over his shoulder, and he gawped at it, almost in shock. One dog ear flickered in testing, and then the other.  
  
Inuyasha stared at his hands for a moment before an insane grin found its way onto his face. He was a hanyou again. After an entire week of being human, his youryoku had returned to him. He jumped to his feet and rushed his sister, snatching up Kagome before Tama could land a blow. Kagome stared up at him in surprise. "Inuyasha...!!"  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, and she nodded, happy tears in her eyes. She threw her arms around his neck, "Inuyasha!! You're a hanyou again!" She held him tighter, and whispered against his cheek, "....My hanyou..."   
  
Inuyasha smiled, hugged her back, and then he set her down alongside Miroku and the others. Then he turned back to his twin.   
  
"I'll handle Tama."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: YAY~!!! I made Inuyasha a hanyou again!!! And yes, trust me, if you go back and count the days, it had only been a WEEK (as in seven days) since chapter 12. WOW! Oh, and a nice baby cliffie for you. ^-^   
  
Please review~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	22. End of the Illusion

Disclaimer: ::the psychiatrist looks in through the tiny window of Tessen's padded room. Still in a straitjacket, typing with her feet:: Hmm...... interesting.  
  
^_______________^  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Six :: Illusions  
  
Chapter Twenty-Two :: End of the Illusion  
  
Inuyasha walked over calmly, standing across from Tama. The youkai woman was staring him down, snarling. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded and Inuyasha swallowed. *I hope this works.*  
  
Calmly, he spoke aloud. "Tama, listen to me. You can break the transformation. Think about Tanpopo, about the others. You have to regain control."  
  
Tama seemed to stop, her growl becoming rugged as she wavered. The blue of her pupils faded, and she stumbled. After a moment though, she regained consciousness and charged, slashing out and ripping across Inuyasha's chest. He winced, taking the attack full on, and Kagome cried out his name.  
  
From the sidelines, Shippou yelped. "Inuyasha you idiot, don't let her hit you!!"  
  
"Shippou, don't," Miroku said, and the kit looked up. "What?" Miroku gestured to Kagome, and the child turned towards her. Kagome's face was twisted into an expression of worry, tears building in her eyes. He quieted.  
  
Sango gasped. "Why is Inuyasha doing that?! I don't understand!"  
  
"Maybe he knows something we don't," Miroku said, and Shippou and Sango looked back at him. Miroku, still looking on the fight, swallowed and then began to speak again.  
  
"Inuyasha himself has gone through this. While he doesn't remember what happened when he transformed, he does understand what he was feeling at the time. Perhaps he understands how much of Tama is still hanyou, and how much is youkai... and he is trying to reach her."  
  
"You mean all those times he had transformed, he was still aware?" Sango asked and Miroku narrowed his eyes. "I'm just guessing, but I think that, yes, even if he was not aware of his surroundings, inside Inuyasha was always trying to regain control of himself. You remember, he forced himself to pick up Tessaiga when he fought Ryuukotsusei. And perhaps Tama is also able to force herself back into control."  
  
Kagome, having heard Miroku's estimation, looked back out at Inuyasha and Tama. Inuyasha had gotten himself another cut, this time just above his elbow. He didn't look too fazed, but instead he looked more determined. Kagome clenched her fists. *Please be right on this Inuyasha...*  
  
Tama launched herself again at Inuyasha, and this time the hanyou grabbed her wrists, forcing her to stop. "Tama, I know what it feels like!! I know how hard it is! But you have to try! Break the transformation!"   
  
She snarled at him, bringing one knee up, and Inuyasha leaned back, barely dodging. Coming back to dodge the second one, he bit his lip. *What can I do to make her stop?! She can't hear me at all...! This isn't like my own transformation... this is completely different!*   
  
Tama wrenched one hand free and slashed Inuyasha across the chest again, this time raking deep. Inuyasha released her and she leapt back, leaving her brother to hug his wounded chest. Already the poison from the first hit was beginning to spread; his sight was blurring, twinges of searing hot pain rushed through his body.  
  
*I gotta finish this quick, or she'll really kill me, but...* Inuyasha looked at his sister helplessly. *Why can't she hear me?? What would break through to her? Is she really that far gone that she can't hear my voice anymore?*  
  
He looked over her form, at the Shikon shards which tripled every punch, every kick. But the cursed shard on her forehead which had controlled her had been knocked away by Kagome's arrow. Inuyasha shook his head. *No... I know she can hear me!!! But what...*  
  
All the while, in the back of his mind a little voice kept repeating the same phrase: Tama adores her little brother. She loves him more than anything, and she would do anything for him. In his mind, Inuyasha argued that. *But I'm her little brother! I'm here! I'm with her, why doesn't she see me!?*  
  
Then it clicked.   
  
Tama rushed him again, and this time, the moment she was close enough, he jumped at her, locking his arms around hers to prevent her from scratching him, but what came out of his mouth was something no one had expected.  
  
"Neechan stop~!"  
  
Tama stopped. So did everyone else.  
  
Inuyasha hugged her tighter, burying his face against her shoulder. "Tama, do you remember? When I used to call you that... When Ofukuro died and it was just you and me...... Do you remember?"  
  
She wrenched one of her arms free, the claws tearing into his arm to try and force him off. Inuyasha held firm. "Please go back to being my sister, Tama... Go back to the way you used to be."  
  
Slowly, the claws digging onto his arm retracted, and the tension in her body relaxed. Inuyasha turned his head, and Tama's gold eyes met his. She stared up at him, tears glittering in her eyes. "You stupid bastard... you're so reckless."  
  
Inuyasha grinned before hugging her again. "Tama..."  
  
Kagome grinned, rushing over and embracing the other hanyou. "Tama-chan!!" Shippou bounced up onto Tama's shoulders, hugging her neck. "We were so worried!" Tama lowered her face, and Shippou looked up. "Tama??"  
  
She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, guys... I'm sorry I..." She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and glanced up into Kagome's smile. The miko nodded at her, smiling with her eyes. "It's okay, Tama-chan, we understand."  
  
The hanyou closed her eyes, nodded, and sniffled. "Thank you."  
  
Kagome then turned to Inuyasha and hugged him, and the hanyou leaned against her as his knees gave out, the poison from Tama's claws having numbed him. "Are you okay?" she asked, and he murmured a soft response, his breathing heavy against her neck. "I'll be fine."  
  
"This temple..." Miroku changed the subject, looking around, "is Uramiko's, isn't it?" As Tama went to the altar and unwrapped Tanpopo's wrists, taking the girl in her arms, she nodded.   
  
"Uramiko had kidnapped Tanpopo to lure Inuyasha here... I went to save her and instead got used as bait too..." She jerked in surprise suddenly. "Oh yeah, what happened to those two bitches Terith and Terrace?"  
  
Sango narrowed her eyes. "Those two illusionists? We don't know, I don't remember much of what happened between the time they captured us to when Inuyasha broke the spell."  
  
"Why do you care anyway, Miroku?" Shippou asked, and Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet. "Isn't it obvious? That wrinkled old bitch is in here somewhere, if that's true."  
  
"Yes. As someone who desires the Shikon no Tama, and a demon who possess jewel shards..." Miroku began,  
  
"And the one who fucking used my friends... she deserves to die," Inuyasha said, and then turned to them. "Let's go."  
  
"No need," said a gravelly voice, and the gumi spun to glare at the sound. Uramiko was standing behind the altar, having come through a door previously unseen, left open behind the demon miko. Inuyasha cursed. "Uramiko, you bitch!!"   
  
Before he could move though he stopped short, gasping in pain from the poison. Kagome grabbed onto him before he toppled. "Inuyasha, don't move yet!"  
  
"You expect to battle me?" Uramiko demanded, "You can hardly stand, the poison your sister inflicted on you, as little as it was, won't kill you, but surely fighting I, Uramiko, while in such a state would."   
  
"Fucking bitch... how dare you use my friends... Why did you make us fight?!" Inuyasha yelled, and Uramiko smiled. "Didn't you know? The Shikon no Tama is a jewel that can be used for good or evil. When touched by the damned it becomes cursed, when touched by the innocent, it becomes pure.  
  
"However the Shikon no Tama, like a human soul, gathers pure hate and pure energy within it. Like your Kagome. She is the only one who can completely purify the jewel, but even SHE has a glimmer of blackness tainting her soul. The jewel is the same. I simply wish to unleash that pure hatred the jewel stores and use it to my own wishes."  
  
"Which would be what?" Miroku asked defiantly, and Uramiko smiled. "You shall know soon enough. I'll let you go for today, but before I leave..." She lifted her hand, and the shards of the jewel left in Tama's arms and legs suddenly left her, floating over to the miko. The one on the floor that had controlled her also came as if on command. Tama cursed. "You bitch~!!"   
  
Uramiko laughed. "I hope that you enjoy the next act of my play. Kagome, Inuyasha, you're up."  
  
The old miko turned to leave, but turned in surprise when she heard the distinct *twang* of a bowstring, and Kagome's arrow shot straight through her arm.  
  
"I won't forgive you!! I'll end this here!!!" Kagome yelled, firing off a second, and this arrow buried itself into Uramiko's chest. Abruptly the woman's head fell off, her limbs following suit and then the remains turning to dust. Sango narrowed her eyes. "A kugutsu..."  
  
"What could it possibly be that she wants....?" Kagome wondered, and looked down at Inuyasha. He was conscious, but unable to move, sitting up thanks to Tama who was kneeling next to him, holding him up. The female hanyou had taken Kagome's place with him when the young miko attacked Uramiko.  
  
Inuyasha lifted his head and locked eyes with Kagome. Kagome bit her lip. *Uramiko said it was me and Inuyasha... I have to protect him. I don't know what she wants, but I swear I won't let her use him, or me, or any of the others. I'll end this.*  
  
~*~  
  
The fire crackled and popped in the silence, the embers fairly low in the floor-hearth. It was late, daybreak hardly an hour away, and everyone was asleep. Except for Kagome, who was watching over her wounded hanyou. She carefully wiped the sweat from Inuyasha's forehead as he shifted uncomfortably in his sleep, sleeping off the dosages of poison he'd received from the battle against his sister.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
Kagome looked up at Tama, the other hanyou lurking in the shadows. She looked back down at Inuyasha, placing a cold cloth on his head. "He's doing better. His fever's gone down, but he still seems to be in pain. I'll have to make more medicine soon." She looked back up at Tama, blinking. "I thought you were asleep..."  
  
"I can't. I keep thinking about... about that..."  
  
Kagome nodded as the other woman came over, settling in next to her sleeping brother. "I know it's difficult. But it'll be okay. You didn't hurt anyone. So don't worry about it."  
  
"That's not why I'm worried."  
  
Kagome blinked as Tama opened her hand, looking over her claws distressingly. "I can feel my blood boiling in me, even now, in a way it never did before... My youkai blood isn't dormant anymore. I don't know how my blood broke through. Which means I also don't know how to regain control of myself. If I..."  
  
"You won't!" Tama looked up. Kagome shook her head obstinately. "You won't," the miko repeated, "I know. I trust you. I know you never hurt us. Not me, or Inuyasha or Tanpopo or any of the others."  
  
Tama looked down, feeling dejected. She lifted her head again and looked in the dim firelight over the forms of her sleeping friends. Shippou, Kaede-babaa, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, who had been royally pissed off at having to be left behind when everyone went to rescue Tanpopo.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha.  
  
Tanpopo.  
  
The people most precious to her now, the way her husband Katsuyoumaru and her daughter Kiseki had been precious. But, she had not been able to protect Kiseki. Her young daughter had been killed when bandits attacked their village. Katsuyoumaru and Tama never again had another child, and he died of an illness as an older man, his hanyou wife forever young and beautiful.   
  
She had not been able to protect her adopted daughter Tsutsuji, who grew up under the wing of a hanyou, never really learning to true extent of her youkai power and because of it, died at the hands of Terrace and Terith.  
  
She swore to herself that she would protect Tanpopo, even if it meant from herself.  
  
"I'm going to go think," Tama said, standing quickly, and Kagome bit her lip. "Tama-chan, you know you're important to us, right? You... mean alot to all of us. You mean alot to Inuyasha."  
  
"Keh," Tama snorted, "I'm just his sister. You heard him before. I just bring back alot of bad memories for him. Besides, I'm just going to think. Don't worry about me."  
  
And with that the hanyou disappeared through the bamboo roll door. Kagome apprehensively watched her leave. *Tama-chan... please don't leave us.*  
  
Tama turned back towards the small hut for only a moment. *Tanpopo... minna... I'm sorry... But until I find a way to reseal my youkai blood... I can't stay with you.* Then the hanyou turned, facing the thick foliage that was Inuyasha's Forest, and in a single bound she disappeared.  
  
~*~  
  
Torou was awakened by screams.  
  
He ran from his chambers down the shrine hall, rushing outside alongside some of the other mikos, his grandmother amongst them. He threw open the doors and looked down the shrine steps, where a pair of heads were posted on stakes sticking from the ground.   
  
The screams were from some of the lower attendants and apprentices in the shrine, who had awoken first to begin their duties.  
  
Torou recognized the heads-- it was his mother, Terrace, and his aunt, Terith. He stared in disgust and horror at the image the pair's heads made when he noticed, standing farther away, a white silhouette.  
  
Sesshoumaru and Torou locked eyes. Sesshoumaru smirked faintly, taunting the younger demon, and Torou glared at him, seething.   
  
After a moment the inuyoukai lord turned silently and walked away.  
  
Torou spun to face his grandmother, Uramiko, who looked neither grieved nor infuriated. She looked, if anything, amused, but her expression was empty of anything he expected.  
  
"What the fuck is wrong with you~!?" he demanded quite suddenly and Uramiko turned her red gaze on him. Torou was trembling with fury as he yelled at his grandmother. "Those are your DAUGHTERS!! And you don't even care!!!"  
  
"Sacrifices are required for greatness," was all she said before turning and walking back into the shrine. Torou stared after her in horror.  
  
*That bitch used my mother and aunt... She never expected them to win... they were just pawns...!!! As I am just a pawn......* Torou turned to look back at his mother and aunt's decapitated heads. Servants were already beginning to take them down.  
  
*Before Uramiko uses up my life in her little fucking game... I shall take my revenge on Sesshoumaru... for the death of my mother~!!*  
  
~*~  
  
Shortly after dawn, Kaede was abruptly awoken by a frightened call from outside.  
  
"Kaede-sama~! Kaede-sama!!!"  
  
At the sound, Kaede, not to mention the others, stirred from their sleep. The old miko opened her eyes and sat up. "Who's there?" A young village woman pushed back the bamboo roll and looked fearfully at the old miko. "Kaede-sama, someone is at Kikyou-sama's gravesite!"  
  
Kaede gasped and stood, rushing up the stairs towards the grave. It had taken quite awhile to fix the small site the last time, and even then, without Kikyou's ashes, it wasn't much but a place to pray that the dead miko find some peace. Miroku and Sango followed the old miko to assist her, leaving Kohaku to protect the kits, Inuyasha and Kagome, who were still asleep. (Tessen:: they can sleep through anything, can't they! ^-^)  
  
Kaede, trailed by Miroku and Sango, reached the head and found a young woman wearing a blue hakama and black haori, and a black cloak over her head and shoulders. She was kneeling at the shrine, running her fingers over it in contemplation.  
  
"Who are you?!" Miroku demanded firmly, "State your business!!"  
  
"This gravesite..." said the woman, "is the grave of the miko, Kikyou?" Kaede nodded. "It is; the gravesite of my onee-sama Kikyou, who protected this village. Now answer our question, who are you?!!"  
  
The woman shook her head, and Kaede thought she heard her laughing. "The little bitch was telling the truth, then..."   
  
In one quick sweep, she reached out with a small urn and scooped up some of the gravesoil, and then spun, firing an arrow as she did. The arrow landed just at Kaede's feet, and when the smoke cleared, the woman had disappeared.  
  
Kaede stared. "What... just happened...??"  
  
Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance, and Miroku frowned. *If I'm not mistaken... those clothes.. Kikyou-sama was wearing those when we last saw her in Kitsuko Forest!!!*  
  
Miroku narrowed his eyes. "What does this mean...?"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ::automated woman's voice:: We have reach-ed the half-way point of To Be With You To-mor-row. Please wait for next in-stall-ment. ::intermission::  
  
Lemme know what you think okay~ (I have SO many plans for this next part~!!! MUA HAHAHAHA~~!!)  
  
Okie ja~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	23. Uneasy Rest Part 1

Hiya all, turns out the point that I decided it was about time for a character we haven't seen in awhile to have a turn, eppie 48 decided to play. (I started this chapter on the Thursday night it aired, so)  
  
Just to let you guys know, as a die-hard Inu/Kag fan I absolutely HATED this episode. It shocks me to hear people go "oh I loved it." Not me, man. Inuyasha is such a clod sometimes. Just an insensitive clod. And stupid too. I mean, for one SHE'S DEAD. Yeah, I heard all his speech about 'I cant be happy b/c its my fault and its our fate to die together' but PHOOEY! SHE'S DEAD YOU'RE ALIVE KAGOME'S ALIVE BE HAPPY!!! Anyway.......  
  
But now I need a fix of angst after all this Inu/Kag goodness (dun believe me on the goodness? They haven't had a fight since about chapter 7 and we haven't had a good sitting in forever) so Kikyou is gonna have a piece~ ::waves a teeny-tiny flag in utter boredom:: Wheee. I bet the Kikyou fans are happy though.  
  
^-^ Actually I am too~ I like writing the angsty chapters~! (I'm good at those) I hope you enjoy~!  
  
Disclaimer: ::Tessen grins:: They finally decided I was far too loopy and far too in love with Inuyasha to be cooped up in the insane asylum so they lemme go!! Yay!!!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Seven :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part 2)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Three :: Uneasy Rest (part 1)  
  
Inuyasha woke slowly to the sound of the birds chirping outside and a slight breeze fluttering in through the door. His numb limbs told him he had not moved in hours, and he felt so comfortable where he was that he did not want to move.   
  
Despite the cool late-autumn air tickling his feet, he realized the rest of him was not chilled at all. He glanced down, peering through dark lashes, and his eyes fell on the face of a sleeping goddess.  
  
Kagome was curled against his side, her body molding to his like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Both he and Kagome were wrapped in his haori, and he didn't really remember it being put around him. Actually, he didn't really remember falling asleep. Kagome had cared for him while he was wounded, and he had drifted in and out of consciousness several times. The only thing he could really recall was Kagome's tender scent.   
  
He shifted, moving one arm up to cradle her to him, and at the sudden movement Kagome stirred, and Inuyasha felt a sharp tug at the side of his head, like hair being pulled. He peered down at her, not really surprised to find one small hand was gently grasping a lock of his hair.   
  
Well, had been gently. When he moved, almost as if she were unconsciously trying to keep him from leaving, she'd clenched down on it.  
  
He carefully untwined the silver tresses from her fingers, kissing her knuckles lightly and holding her hand against his chest.  
  
*God, let me just stay with her like this for a little longer...*  
  
She stirred then, and Inuyasha released her hand reluctantly, his hands aching for that soft touch for just a little longer, while also becoming a quick atheist. Kagome peered up at him with sleepy brown eyes.   
  
".....mhm... Oh! Inuyasha...!!" She sat up, her features quickly twisting in concern. "How are you, are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, and Kagome stretched, his haori falling from her shoulders. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep next to you..."  
  
"More like on me."  
  
Kagome blushed, and tugged his overcoat from her shoulders, laying it to the side while she peered under his bandages. The smaller wounds were gone, and the exceptionally deep one Tama had inflicted on him the day before had closed up. He still wouldn't be able to fight for a day or two though.  
  
Kagome smiled. "Youkai blood sure is amazing... Not only is the shoulder wound you got three days ago from that earth sprite finally gone, but the ones you got yesterday are too."  
  
"Yeah it's great to finally be rid of that goddamned virus I got from that mukade-byou," he mused, and Kagome eyed him for a moment before he noticed it and pouted. "What?"  
  
"I'm glad you changed back. I love you either way, but my hanyou is the man I fell in love with." She grinned at his slight blush and bent over, tweaking his ears. "And I missed these too!"  
  
Inuyasha yanked away in embarrassment. "Stop that!" Kagome giggled and handed his haori to him. "Are you hungry, I'll make you something to eat."  
  
He nodded, peering around the small hut as he dressed. Everyone else was still asleep, except one face, one who should have been there but wasn't.  
  
"Kagome, where's Tama?"  
  
Kagome looked around. She hadn't come in last night? Unlike Inuyasha, who loved sleeping outside, when they had the chance Tama always took the indoors. Kagome swallowed, suddenly worried. "I.. don't know, she said she was going out to think..." The miko stood up, going to the door and peering out it. After a moment she disappeared, and Inuyasha watched after her in confusion. "Kagome...??"  
  
Kagome came running back in after awhile. "She's not here! Tama-chan's gone."  
  
~*~  
  
"What do you mean she's gone?!!" Tanpopo demanded, and Kagome rubbed the kit's head. "Don't cry, Tanpopo-chan, I'm sure she's not in any trouble or anything. She said she needed some time to think, but that it was no big deal and not to worry about her. Okay?"  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, cursing. "Damn Tama. She's so selfish. Taking a vacation when we need to go out and look for shards!"   
  
Kagome nodded. "I'm sure it's not a big deal at all. She'll be back soon." She rummaged through her bag, and after a moment she looked a little flustered. "Ah... you know, we're still short on supplies... I never got to go home. I still need to go back for a bit."  
  
She could almost hear Inuyasha's veins popping.  
  
"What all do you need to get?" Sango asked, and Kagome sighed, counting on her fingers. "Ah, well... Antibiotics, bandages, some clean.. uhm.. underclothes..."  
  
"You don't need to go back for all that, we can take care of ourselves," Inuyasha insisted and Kagome added, "...ramen..."  
  
Inuyasha picked her up, shoving her towards the door. "What the hell are you waiting for, wench, go!!"  
  
"It's about time we rest anyway, we've been searching for weeks on end," Miroku suggested, "Kagome-sama, you're going back then?"  
  
Kagome nodded. "I'm gonna get some more supplies, repack, take a bath and a nap and I'll be back in a few hours." Miroku looked at her seriously. "Take a bath, hm? May I accompany you--"  
  
WHAM. Sango nonchalantly pushed Hiraikotsu to its side, the hard bone weapon landing on its intended target with a deformed grace. Miroku, with a lump on his head the size of a melon, smiled at Kagome. "Never mind, I have something else to do here."  
  
Kagome stood up, her half-emptied bag slung, and she smiled. "I'll be back by sunset! Promise."   
  
~*~  
  
"Souta-kun, breakfast is ready."  
  
The third grader turned at his mother's statement, flicking his game on pause for a moment, and scooted over to the table. He grinned when he saw what she had made. "Okonomiyaki!! It looks great Kaachan!"  
  
"Arigatou, Souta-kun," she smiled, and just as the three of them, Souta, Jiichan and Mama, all sat down to eat, the shoji slid open and Kagome trudged in, "Tadaima!"  
  
Mama stood. "Kagome-chan! Welcome home! Do you want to have breakfast first or would you rather have a bath?"  
  
"Bath please. I'll eat later." Kagome said with a smile, and Mama nodded, heading off to start the bath. Souta looked up at his sister. "Neechan, you didn't bring Inuyasha no niichan this time?"  
  
"No, I'm only going to stay for awhile so Inuyasha stayed behind this time." Kagome replied, and she put her elbow on the table, leaning against her hand. "How have you all been doing?"  
  
"When the new semester started Takeshi-kun got moved across the room. It sucks cause now we only get to talk during lunch." Souta began, and then went off on another tangent, babbling about 9 year old little boy issues, and Kagome unintentionally drowned him out with a sudden thought.  
  
*That's right, the new semester started last week... I was so worried about Inuyasha, I didn't even think about school...*  
  
*No,* she amended, *That's not right. It's not that I was worried about him... It was just that school... doesn't seem as important anymore...* She grimaced.   
  
"Aaah, what am I saying?!!! School is DEATHLY important!!! If I don't get a good education, I won't go anywhere in this life!! I may be a miko in Sengoku-jidai but here I'm just a normal girl!! I have to be able to resume life here after we collect all the shards!"  
  
Jiichan and Souta stared at Kagome blankly, and then the pair exchanged nervous glances. "Is Neechan yelling at herself?" Jiichan nodded. "She may be possessed. I should perform a exorcism..."  
  
"No, she's fine, don't worry about her," Mama said from nowhere, startling Jiichan and Souta, and she smiled at Kagome. "Kagome-chan, the bath is ready!"  
  
"Ah, arigatou Mama!"  
  
After she was gone Souta looked at his mother. "Kaachan, aren't you worried about her?" Mama turned. "Of course I worry about her. But the thing about parenting is to know when NOT to worry. As long as Kagome-chan is with Inuyasha-kun, she will be able to find her place." She looked at Souta with a smile. "Oh, and Souta-kun?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're late for school."  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome sank down into the water, immersing herself completely in the steaming pool. She breathed deeply, enjoying the feeling. It had been a month since she had a bath like this, despite the numerous hot springs the gumi had come across. But her mind was not calmed by it as she had hoped.  
  
*School, huh...? I wonder... when we're done gathering the shards... if it will become unnecessary for me to come here...? What will happen to me and Inuyasha...? He promised we would be together when he broke up with Kikyou, but...*  
  
But can a girl from 1997 and a boy from 1497 really be together?  
  
Kagome sighed and whispered aloud to herself. "I don't want to leave Inuyasha. I know that. I want to stay by his side... I stayed with him even when I didn't know he loved me. But can he and I really be together?"  
  
She leaned back, looking at the ceiling. "Can we?"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Awh~~~~~~ ::sniffle:: These are the side-effects of watching eppie 48 when you're a die-hard Inu/Kag fan, dammit!! GOD I HATE THAT EPISODE~  
  
OKIE! I haff a question for you all that deals with the later chapters, and I would really love feedback so I know what you guys wanna read. Review your asses off, okie?  
  
Question: Would you rather (a) Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru continue hating each other until one of them kills the other or dies of old age or something, (b) they come to an agreement to tolerate each other's presence but they still don't really like each other, or (c) they love each other like brothers should and don't fuss anymore.  
  
Lemme know with reviews!! Okie, ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	24. Uneasy Rest Part 2

Hidey-ho! Chappie 24, the second parter to chapter 23! (wow, how smart do ya hafta be to figger that out~) I hate splitting chapters and having two-parters, but the original 23 was so long it wouldn't have loaded right if I tried to do that, so I split it~ Gomen ne!  
  
Hope you enjoy~ (I always say that as if I've make some delectable little dish for you guys to try....o_0)  
  
Disclaimer: ::eating ramen:: I mon't ohm Inuyahha. (translation:: I don't own Inuyasha. ^-^)  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Seven :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part 2)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Four :: Uneasy Rest (part 2)  
  
"Say what?!"  
  
Inuyasha demanded, and Kaede looked up at him as she stirred the fire. "Stop your barking and calm down." The hanyou settled for a moment, retaking his seat across from the old woman, but his angry expression at the news didn't disappear. "Babaa, you're sure it was her?"  
  
Kaede nodded gravely, and Miroku added, "I know Kikyou-sama's voice. And she was wearing the same clothes we saw on Kikyou-sama in Kitsuko Forest."  
  
"It was most certainly Oneesama." Kaede assured the hanyou and Inuyasha cursed, letting the information sink into his brain. Kikyou had been nearby, just last night.  
  
The last time he had seen her was in Kitsuko Forest, when he was ill. Actually he hadn't seen her, he had been blind at the time, and she had spoken to Kagome. She was leaving just as he found her. Even then, she had not remembered him. She hadn't known him, at all.   
  
He wanted to see her. He needed to see her, to end it, in whatever way he could.  
  
He couldn't bear to see that inexpressibly sad look on Kagome's face anymore. He couldn't bear his own conflicting feelings anymore. He had to fix it, to repair what was broken all those months ago when his stupidly spoke that woman's name aloud.  
  
Abruptly he got up, leaving the group where they were and bounding up the stairs to Kikyou's gravesite.  
  
It looked relatively normal, unlike when Urasue first defiled it six months previously. The only evidence that anything had taken place during the night was that by the gravesite there was a large scoop taken out of it, and a small crater at the head of the steps where Kikyou had fired an arrow at Kaede.  
  
Inuyasha knelt and dug through the scoop, bringing some of the dirt up to his nose and sniffing. Gravesoil, of course, but something else. Kikyou's scent. Kikyou's unique scent which was a mix of her old one, and the scent of death which cloaked her now.  
  
"Kikyou *was* here last night... She was here... doing what? She doesn't know who she is, how would she have known to come here?"  
  
Kagome maybe?   
  
Inuyasha knew that Kikyou and Kagome had spoken, he wasn't sure for how long, in Kitsuko Forest. Perhaps Kagome had told Kikyou the truth?  
  
Was Kikyou trying to regain herself? If that was the case, what did the remnants of her gravesoil have to do with anything?  
  
*I'm so confused,* Inuyasha admitted, letting the soil drop back to the ground. He stood and went to where Kikyou's arrow was still stuck in the ground, the tip buried into the dirt. He pulled it out.  
  
It was definitely hers, her scent was on this too. Inuyasha lowered his head solemnly. *Kikyou... how can I save you...? What can I do?*  
  
"Kikyou..."  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome rolled over and peered at her alarm clock. 6:25. True to it, the orange rays of the sun were fading from outside her closed curtains, and the room was veritably dim. She rolled over again, staring at the ceiling. "I slept for so long..."  
  
*Of course, I had to pack after my bath... Souta was at school, so he couldn't help... and then Eri-chan called... wanting to know about the mysterious lump on my neck. I don't think Jiichan knows exactly what he's doing when he gives me possible terminal diseases...*  
  
She sat up, changing into her school uniform, and going through her bag, making sure everything was packed. She headed downstairs, where Mama was making dinner, Souta working on math homework at the table and Jiichan watching the news.  
  
"Hi everyone."  
  
Mama smiled at her daughter. "Getting ready to go?" Kagome nodded and Souta looked up. "Say hi to Inuyasha no niichan for me." Kagome agreed, grinning, as she flounced out the door with a cheerful, "See you later!!" towards the well.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha crossed his arms, glancing sideways at the setting sun and then glaring back down at the well. *Dammit... Kagome's late.*  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
The hanyou looked down at the small voice and his eyes fell on Tanpopo. The young girl was sitting at the bottom of the tree, peering up at him with red eyes. She looked as if she had been crying. He blinked. "Tanpopo..."  
  
"Can I come up there and talk to you for a little bit?" He hesitated for a moment, wondering why she wanted to come up and sit with him, before he nodded. "Sure."  
  
The kit bounced into the tree, landing on the branch in front of him, and she settled herself on his lap, laying her head on his thigh, much resembling a little girl and her father. Inuyasha blushed a bit as that mental image presented itself to him, but he shook it off. "What's the matter, brat?"  
  
"Tama-san isn't back yet."  
  
*Ah, I see now,* Inuyasha thought, *Of course she would be worried about my selfish sister... After all Tama is like a mother to her.* "Well what does that have to do with me?" he asked a bit harshly and Tanpopo looked up at him.   
  
"Why did Tama-san leave me here? It has to do with that monster she became, doesn't it?"  
  
Inuyasha's heart lurched at the word. He hated that word. It ranked right up there with being stared at. And it wasn't because Tanpopo was describing Tama; it was because he had done the same thing. The same word could be used to describe himself.  
  
But it was true.  
  
"Yeah, it probably does," he said softly, "She's... scared."   
  
Tanpopo scoffed, sounding like she only half believed him. "Tama-san, scared? Can you even put that in the same sentence?" Inuyasha inwardly chuckled at that. It was part of being idolized. They thought you could do anything. "Yes, Tama gets scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes."  
  
"Even you?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't speak for a long moment. "Yeah," he finally said, "Me too."  
  
"Like what kind of things scare you?"  
  
Inuyasha lowered his head, his eyes hidden by his hair. "I guess... losing Kagome... and being alone. And... myself."  
  
"Yourself?" Tanpopo asked in confusion and Inuyasha nodded. "Why?" the kit pressed.  
  
Inuyasha looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "Because that same youkai blood that turned Tama into that monster you saw... flows in me. I've done that before too. I've killed alot of people... And the thought that I might transform again one day and hurt someone important to me... that scares me."  
  
Underneath the tree, unnoticed by Inuyasha or Tanpopo, Kagome leaned against the trunk, her eyes closed. *Inuyasha...You're still afraid of that...*  
  
Inuyasha looked down at Tanpopo, smiling a little. "But I don't have the time to be worried about my fears, you know? I have to protect Kagome. She means everything to me. Which is why Tama left. I know you mean alot to her. She left to protect you."  
  
Tanpopo smiled faintly and nodded. "Thanks."  
  
Suddenly the hanyou snapped up, alert. "I smell gravesoil." Inuyasha dropped to the ground, setting Tanpopo on his shoulder, and instantly saw Kagome as he started off to investigate. "Kagome, you're...!"  
  
She sounded a bit guilty at his expression, since she knew that he obviously realized she had heard his conversation with Tanpopo, "Yeah, I'm back, what's going on?" Inuyasha grabbed Kagome, the miko hanging onto his back as he darted towards the Goshinboku. He explained to her what Miroku and Kaede had told him, about Kikyou having appeared in the night, and Kagome blinked. *Kikyou came?! Why...?!!*  
  
Almost the moment she wondered, the answer hit her. *She must have decided to check to see what I told her was correct or not... That she is a doll made of bones and gravesoil... that she was really Kikyou, the miko who protected the Shikon no Tama...!*  
  
They stopped at the tree, looking around. *Where...* Inuyasha wondered, when suddenly from the ground, a hand wrapped around his foot, and he yelped as he was yanked down hard to the ground. He caught a glimpse of the things --things, as there were many of them-- that held him fast to the ground.  
  
A corpse, badly decomposed, with no eyes and few teeth, dirt and rotting flesh clinging to its bones. Inuyasha looked disgusted. *A zombie?~!!*  
  
"Kyaa!!" Inuyasha looked up, his eyes falling on Kagome, who was squealing her head off and swiping at zombies left and right with her bow, taking off heads and limbs as she went.   
  
"Dammit... Sankon Tessou!" He sliced off the zombies holding him down and went to Kagome, slicing them away quickly.  
  
Inuyasha took a place in front of Kagome, unsheathing Tessaiga and slicing zombies away with the great sword. Tanpopo was holding her own fairly well, firing off spurts of kitsune-bi from Kagome's shoulder.  
  
But there were tons of them. For every five zombies one swipe with Tessaiga took out, ten more rose to take their place. Before long they were swamped. Kagome noticed however, that the zombies were not attacking so much as they were restraining. *What is Kikyou planning~*  
  
One of the zombies knocked away Tessaiga, and twelve of them dog-piled onto Inuyasha, holding the hanyou down. He looked up as Kikyou appeared from the forest, and he caught his breath. "Ki-Kikyou~! This is your doing?!"  
  
The miko had one hand lifted, and it was glowing with dark energy, and she narrowed her eyes. "Of course. As a miko of the dead, I can raise corpses. And..."  
  
She swiped at Inuyasha with her bow, and Kikyou's miko energy shocked the hanyou. Inuyasha yelled out, and in the moment he was off guard, Kikyou grabbed Kagome and the Shinidamachuu appeared, wrapping around the both of them and flying into the air. Kikyou smiled. "--I can use souls, too. I'll just be borrowing her for awhile, Inuyasha~!"  
  
Inuyasha watched from his place on the ground, horrified. "KAGOME~!"  
  
Kagome uselessly struggled against the Shinidamachuu, and glared at the dead miko. "Kikyou, what--"  
  
"If you are me, then we share the same soul, do we not?" Kikyou said monotonously and Kagome froze. Instantly what Kikyou meant to do ran through her mind, and she twisted, staring back down at Inuyasha.   
  
"INUYASHA~!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Oneesama took Kagome?!!!" Kaede repeated and Inuyasha nodded, his face dark. He carefully handed Tanpopo to Sango, and the taijiya blinked. "Inuyasha...?? Where are you going?" Inuyasha glared at her. "Are you stupid, I'm going to go save Kagome!"  
  
"How do you know where they went?" Miroku asked, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, heading for the door. "I have my nose, you know," he said harshly, adding softly, "And if that doesn't work, I still..."   
  
*......Somehow, I still... just know where they are...*  
  
"I'll come with you," Sango offered, and Shippou agreed. Inuyasha turned to look at them, shaking his head. "You guys stay here and wait for us. I should be alone."  
  
"Hey now wait a minute--" Shippou began, but Miroku stopped him. "He's right. When Kagome-sama is saved, it should be Inuyasha... by himself."  
  
Tanpopo smiled at him, remembering his words before. "Be careful, idiot."  
  
He grinned and leapt through the door.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Aaah, what does Kikyou want with Kagome?! (Maybe her soul...??) Hee hee~ evilness! I am evil, yes? ::Dr. Evil laugh:: Mwa ha ha. Mwa Ha Ha! MWA HAHAHAHA~!!!  
  
::in another room Kagome, Inuyasha and the others are sitting in front of a fire, summoning spirits. Saitou from Ruroken appears from the fire and attacks Tessen:: Aku. Soku. Zan!  
  
::Tessen runs off like a scared bitch::  
  
Please review!! Okie, ja!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	25. Kagome's Soul, Kikyou's Memories

Attention all Inu/Kag fans~!! Beware, Inu/Kik content straight ahead but you can't skip it, you MUST read it. Besides, its actually interesting! Hee hee~ sorry!!  
  
Disclaimer: Do I own Inuyasha? ::sounds like the little train that could:: I wish I did, I wish I did, I wish I did, I wish I did~  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Seven :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part 2)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Five :: Kagome's Soul, Kikyou's Memories  
  
As the Shinidamachuu brought the two mikos down, Kikyou tossed Kagome down carelessly and the younger miko twirled, twisting on her knees to look up angrily at the dead one. Kikyou's back was turned as she carefully put down her things --her bow and quiver and what appeared to be a small urn-- and she didn't seem too worried that they were in an open clearing and Kagome was very easily able to escape.  
  
"Aren't you being stupid by doing this?" Kagome asked defiantly, trying to keep the wobble from her voice. Kikyou turned. "How?"  
  
"You're not even worried that I'll escape! If I'm bait for Inuyasha or something you're doing a bad job of it, I could escape any time I liked!"  
  
Kikyou smirked. "Go ahead and try. The barrier I've erected won't let you or myself out until I'm through with you. We'll see how many times you run yourself into it before you get the picture. How's that for ignorant?"  
  
Kagome fumed, more than a little pissed off by the other miko's audacious words. Truth was, Kagome was scared, she would have been lying if she hadn't admitted at least that.   
  
After all, all she had ever tried to do was help Kikyou get over the hate, for both the dead miko's sake, and the sake of the hanyou they both loved. And Kikyou had tried to kill her, and then lied to Inuyasha about it.   
  
And even despite that little injustice, Kagome had defended Kikyou's cause to Uramiko when the demon miko called Kikyou a plaything. And for what?  
  
To be rewarded by having her soul stolen.  
  
Kagome thought that she must've looked especially stupid, rescuing from imminent death her only love rival, who was murderous all by herself.  
  
"What are you sulking about," Kikyou asked softly, and Kagome snapped awake from her reverie, looking up. Kikyou's face was twisted in a confused frown, and she had slipped off her haori, leaving only the white yukata underneath and the navy hakama. She had also undone her hair, and it was draped over her shoulders elegantly.   
  
Kagome felt a stab of jealousy at that; even though everyone said there was a resemblance, she had never been able to see it, but it was true that Kikyou was more beautiful. Much more, as she was a full- grown woman, complete with curves and intelligence and maturity to match.   
  
*Body and brains, no wonder Inuyasha loved her,* she thought bitterly, and suddenly pulled herself out of the second reverie to find Kikyou carefully folding the school uniform top that Kagome had been wearing.  
  
Had being the key word.  
  
Kagome covered her chest with a squeal, even though she still wore her bra, "What are you doing?!!"  
  
"You and I need to be as close together as I can get, and I refuse to bare my chest to you, and I believe you would not want to do that either," replied Kikyou in a monotonous tone, her eyebrows rising as if she were telling Kagome something the younger girl should have known.  
  
"What are you going to do to me?!!" Kagome demanded and Kikyou lifted her right arm, pulling up the sleeve. There was a indentation in her arm, almost like...  
  
"Erosion of soil...?" Kagome wondered, and Kikyou nodded. "I thought about what you had told me in Kitsuko Forest, that I had been resurrected by the kijou Urasue. And I asked Uramiko's fool grandson Torou what he knew. He told me I had in fact been killed by a demon named Naraku, and resurrected by kijou Urasue." She paused.   
  
"Since this is true, that meant I was made of bones and dirt from my grave. So I traveled to a village in Musashi, and found the gravesite of the human miko, Kikyou." She smiled bitterly, "I had wanted to believe you were lying, but it seems you told the truth. So I stole some of the gravesoil there and replaced my right arm with the new soil."  
  
Kagome lowered her eyes. Kikyou looked angry. "However, my grave must have been destroyed at some point, because I can only remember bits and pieces." Kagome looked up in surprise, and blinked. "How do you remember anything at all??"  
  
"Gravesoil absorbs the last feelings of those whose ashes it surrounds. The dirt of my grave absorbed the feelings I had when I died..." She lifted her eyes to Kagome's, "You said before that you are me, I assumed you meant that you are my reincarnation and that we share the same soul."  
  
Kagome nodded.  
  
"Well then, somewhere in your soul, you carry the memories of MY life. And I wanted you to share your soul with me so that I may remember myself." She looked down, "In the memories I now have, all feel is an incredible sadness... betrayal, and hatred. I died hating Inuyasha." It was not a question. It was obvious Kikyou knew that much.  
  
Kagome nodded anyway, and Kikyou's face took on an expression of grief. "I don't really remember WHY I hated him. I know why, because you told me in Kitsuko Forest, but I don't remember it."  
  
Kagome nodded and then looked at Kikyou defiantly. "What made you think I would WANT to help you?" she asked, trying to sound as vile as she could muster. Kikyou tilted her head. "I don't expect you would want to. But you will."  
  
Kagome glared at her as Kikyou leaned forward, and placed her hands on Kagome's naked shoulders, her red eyes closed. She pressed her forehead to Kagome's, and the younger girl sheered away a little bit, confused. Kikyou opened her eyes and looked at Kagome, who was looking at the dead miko the way she looked at Miroku when he was being perverted.   
  
"Relax," Kikyou said, "I don't know if this will hurt or not, but you need to relax, and... please trust me."  
  
Kagome pressed her lips together to hold back the several obscene comments that threatened to explode from her mouth and relaxed, leaning against Kikyou. Both of them were completely relaxed, holding each other's shoulders, and then Kagome winced.  
  
It hurt, a little, like she had been working out for weeks on end, and she ached everywhere. There was a sickening drop, and she fell forever, for five hundred years. And when she opened her eyes, she wasn't next to Kikyou anymore, she was standing in a meadow.  
  
She was slightly taller, a little less pudgy than her fifteen-year-old form, but her breasts were much larger, and her hips were wider. Her hair was longer, pulled back at the nape of her neck. She was wearing loose, light clothing, and she felt the slight weight of her bow and a quiver slung.  
  
And she wasn't sure how to place the feeling, but she was OLDER. Not by much, four or five years at the most, but she just felt it.  
  
"Kikyou-sama! Kikyou-sama!"  
  
Kagome turned, as if the one they were calling were her. An older man hobbled up to her. "Kikyou-sama, he's at it AGAIN~!!"  
  
"From which side," Kagome asked seriously, and in the recesses of her mind, gasped. She sounded just like Kikyou. She looked down over herself. Everything she had felt was exactly in place. By the looks of her fully-matured body, she was at least twenty, an adult woman. She was wearing the typical medieval yukata, red hakama and a stark-white haori over it.  
  
*Oh God, am I.. in Kikyou's body??*  
  
*No,* replied Kikyou's voice, *Just 'my' mind.*  
  
Kagome was surprised by the sudden appearance of Kikyou and the dead miko said, *I can hear your thoughts, and I didn't suddenly appear, I've been here your whole life.*  
  
*Where are we??*  
  
*In the recesses of your soul, where my memories still reside. These are the memories of Kikyou, the human miko who protected the Shikon no Tama.*  
  
Kagome nodded and returned to the vision of the past, watching herself run toward the village in Musashi where Kikyou had been born and raised.  
  
As they reached the Shikon no Tama's shrine, Kagome noticed a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. She spun, not of her own will; it was more like she was watching a movie, but she could feel everything as she went, even though she had no control over what she did.  
  
She spun, firing an arrow as she went, and subsequently heard a short gasp of surprise. Fie more arrows flew, on target, without even really aiming. She went forward then, through the trees, and found a young silver-haired hanyou boy, six arrows pinning his limbs to a large oak tree.  
  
He had perky white dog ears on the top of his head, was dressed in red from head to toe, and his long silver hair shielded his face from view, but Kagome knew who it was. She pulled a seventh arrow, and level it at Inuyasha's throat.  
  
The hanyou swallowed thickly, his body tensing as he prepared for the final blow, and Kagome felt her resolve dwindle. *Shoot him,* she heard Kikyou's voice from the memory say, *Shoot him and the three months of having to stay up nights and days making sure this stupid hanyou boy stays away from the jewel will be over.*  
  
'Kikyou' narrowed her eyes, and released the bowstring. She took the arrow and slipped it back into its quiver and then turned, walking away.  
  
"You bitch!"  
  
Kikyou stopped. She could hear the boy straining as he tried to release himself from the arrows. But he seemed preoccupied with something else. "Why the hell don't you ever finish me off!!!"  
  
She spun to face him. "Stop coming around here. I'm tired of wasting arrows."  
  
The hanyou growled low in his throat. "Then fucking kill me and get it over with! You coward!" He continued yelling obscenities as she walked away, his voice fading in the background.  
  
As she returned she was greeted by a little black haired girl. "Oneesama~!" Shocked, Kagome realized the child was Kaede. Kaede smiled at her sister. "Oneesama, the guard had asked me to report to you that the Shikon no Tama is safe still. Also, a bath has been prepared for you, and by the time you finish, dinner will be done." Kagome smiled. "Thank you Kaede."  
  
There was whispered praise as Kagome walked down the dirt street in the village, but despite the multitude of people in the village, watching as she headed back to the shrine, Kagome felt a strong emptiness. The feeling was so... overwhelming that she wanted to cry. It was loneliness.  
  
In a room full of people, she was alone.  
  
Kagome turned and looked back over the people, who had gone on about their business. She took no pride in the fact that the reason those people could live without fear was because of her power. She only watched in sadness. And loneliness.  
  
~*~  
  
"Inuyasha?? I know you're there. Won't you come out and sit with me?" There was a rustling of tree leaves and then a sulking hanyou stomped out and plopped down, sheering away from the miko lest she jump and try to murder him.   
  
Today again they had met, and again she had not killed him. She had sworn to protect the Shikon no Tama, but Inuyasha was the first one who bore a human form and coveted the jewel. She had told him the first time they met that she would kill him but, contrary to her word, Kikyou had NOT killed him. In fact, it seemed like she was going out of her way not to slay the hanyou.  
  
The truth was, somewhere in him she saw herself. A lonely soul, just wanting attention. Inuyasha however could act on his thoughts in a way Kikyou could not. Kikyou fancied herself trapped in an invisible barrier, where she could scream and no one would hear. She could cry and no one would see. Alone.  
  
And she saw Inuyasha, her enemy but not her enemy, trapped in the same invisible walls. She had found this likeness simply from watching him, and she wanted to know him. It was the first time someone like him had appeared. Kagome, in Kikyou's body, smiled faintly. "It's the first time... that you and I have spoken like this."  
  
"So what about it??" demanded the silver-haired boy, and Kagome tilted her head sadly, looking over the village. *Inuyasha...*  
  
"Inuyasha," She turned to look at him. "How do I look? Do.. I seem human?" Inuyasha's face twisted in an odd look of confusion and bewilderment. "What? What the hell are you talking about, bitch?"  
  
"......I must never show anyone my weaknesses. I must never waver. If I did, some youkai would get the better of me. I'm human, but I mustn't act human." She lifted her gray eyes to the sky.   
  
"Inuyasha, between you and me, there is a resemblance. Between me... and you, the hanyou..." She looked a little bittersweet, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "That is why I cannot kill you."  
  
"Keh," he snorted, stomping up, "What's this? You're complaining? Why don't you cut off the weakling act and just act like yourself?!" He started to stomp away, but turned when Kagome made a soft noise. "It is really... not like me?"  
  
Inuyasha looked irked, and Kagome smiled at him. "It is really not like me? Or... is the person you know... not really the real me? Which one is real?"  
  
Then she caught the look on Inuyasha's face, and looked surprised. It was the same expression he got around her, when he KNEW she was about to sit him. Except it was more tender, and more guilty. His lip quivered slightly.  
  
"I don't know," he said softly, "I don't know who is real..." And Kagome suddenly realized he didn't mean her, he meant himself.  
  
*Oh, the masks we wear.* For a moment their souls touched, for that moment, she wasn't alone. Someone understood her pain.  
  
But before Kagome could say anything else, his face twisted angrily, and his defenses were slammed into place again. "Don't ask me any more stupid questions, you bitch, just leave me alone!" And with that he dashed into the forest.  
  
And once more she was pulled back into her lonely, invisible room. Kagome hated the feeling. The feeling she was experiencing now was sadness, and devastating loneliness. The one thought she could muster was "even the youkai think I shouldn't be human..." She wanted to cry.  
  
But she could not. She was human, but she couldn't afford to be human.  
  
~*~  
  
"Oneesama, that man gives me a bad feeling."  
  
Kikyou looked down at Kaede, and the little girl huffed as she carried a basket that was easily twice her size. It was filled with herbs. Kikyou herself held one as they walked through the fields, plucking medicinal herbs.  
  
"What man?"  
  
"That Onigumo man. He's always cackling to himself, and... he says odd things."  
  
Kikyou tried to hide the slight smirk she had; Kaede was such a scary little thing. She was frightened by almost everything. Kikyou had not done the child any justice after their parents died, having to raise her herself, terrified that her only family would now be lost, and she had overprotected the girl. Now the child was terrified of every and anything.  
  
"Like what odd things, Kaede?"  
  
"Odd things like 'Your ane-ue has the Shikon no Tama, right? She's always so calm and demure. I'd love to see her look flustered for even a moment.' Odd things like that."  
  
"Kaede, he's just babbling. He's very sick, you know."  
  
"Well he can burn in Hell for all I care."  
  
Kikyou spun, her voice raising just so. "Do not speak like that! Onigumo-dono is very injured. He will never move from that place again and I bid you please respect him because I asked you to, if for nothing else."  
  
Kaede pouted. "Oneesama, why do you care about that Onigumo man anyway? It's not the world will miss him! Besides, you have Inuyasha no niichan."  
  
Kikyou blushed slightly. "Wha... What is that supposed to mean!?! Inuyasha is a demon, Kaede!"  
  
Kaede rolled her eyes. "You mean you're NOT in love with him?" Kikyou turned around, hiding her face. "O-o-o-of course NOT!!! And besides even if I did--!!"  
  
Kaede smiled innocently. "I like Inuyasha no niichan, Oneesama. You should tell him sometime that you love him. It would probably make him feel better. It's not as if it's a secret how he feels for you."  
  
Kikyou groaned. "Kaede, stop it with your nonsense, you're possessed or something!!!" After a moment she slowed to a stop, and then turned and knelt, looking at Kaede with a gentle look. Her eyes were wide and filled with a strange wonder, and her cheeks were pink. "Kaede, what exactly is it that's not a secret? How does Inuyasha... feel about me?"  
  
"You didn't know?" Kaede asked flatly, as if she was shocked Kikyou hadn't realized. The little girl smiled. "Inuyasha is in love with you, Oneesama!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Kikyou," Inuyasha began, and Kagome looked up at him, her fingers tracing over the lines in his hands. She was sitting in front of him, her back against his chest, the hanyou's arms around her shoulders. "Yes?"   
  
The hanyou looked incredibly serious. "Kikyou... do you love me?"  
  
Kagome turned her face away. "Yes, I do... You've stayed with me for months now. It's nice to be able to see you so often, even if... it must be in secret... I like being with you." She leaned her head against his arm, and Inuyasha reveled in this, tugging one hand from hers and reaching up to comb through her long hair. Her scent wafted under his nose and he bent his neck, burying his face in her throat.  
  
"Kikyou... if you love me, do you want to stay with me?"  
  
She thought for a moment. "Yes, I do."  
  
"Would you stay with me forever? Live with me??"  
  
Kikyou stiffened, and stared through the ground. "How do you mean? Do you mean... marry?" Inuyasha nodded. "Would it be alright??" Kikyou shook her head a bit, pulling herself away from him and answered very firmly, "...No. I cannot marry a demon, or even half of one."  
  
There was silence for a long time as Inuyasha tensed up against her, and finally Kikyou turned to look at him. And immediately she regretted her words.  
  
Inside, Kagome saw the devastated look on Inuyasha's face. With that one word, she had crushed him. She had pulled him out of the emotional barriers he had built up over his 17 years of life, and with one word, thrust him back in, locked it and threw away the key.   
  
Inside, Kagome was seething. *You heartless bitch...* she cursed to herself, and then immediately reeled, surprised at her own tenacity. In her head, Kikyou sounded surprised. *My, you're protective of him...* Kagome pressed her lips together, trying not to cry. *How could you-- ...she say that to him...??*  
  
Kikyou sounded genuinely remorseful. *I don't know.*  
  
Miffed with Kikyou's amnesia, Kagome retreated back to her side of her soul and sat to think. She had always wondered if Kikyou really loved Inuyasha, because it was apparent he loved her deeply, but with all the things she had done to him, it had made the younger miko wonder.  
  
"Inuyasha?" In the memory, the hanyou didn't reply, but roughly he shoved her away from him and got up. Kikyou looked up at him from her place on the grass. She couldn't see his eyes. "Inuyasha...??"  
  
"You bitch." She froze, the pain in his voice so palpable she could almost touch it. It emanated off him like fury, and she could feel it slam into her. "You fucking heartless, cold, cruel..." His voice broke slightly and he stopped to gather his bearings, before running into the forest. Kikyou gasped. "Inuyasha~!!! Wait!!"  
  
*He.. didn't let me explain...*  
  
Kikyou sat back on the grass and locked her arms around her knees. "How can I say to him that... because I love him, my power over the jewel is weakening......... How can I say that to myself, it's sounds so pathetic~!"   
  
She laughed bitterly, an ugly, despicable sound coming from her. "I'm such a fool.." she said sadly, "I knew better.. than to fall in love... with *him* of all people... And yet I did... and now I'm no longer pure enough to hold the jewel. I can feel the beginnings of evil in it.... because I love a youkai."  
  
She buried her face in her forearms and began to cry. "Why?! Why do I have to love him so much?? ......If I am destined to such a fate, to... protect this damned jewel, and I cannot show these feelings... why can't I just rid myself of them?"  
  
Kagome watched in agony. *Kikyou...*  
  
That was it, wasn't it? She had her answer.   
  
Of course Kikyou had loved Inuyasha. She had loved him so much that she despised it. *Kikyou looked at her feelings for Inuyasha as a weakness... As long as she felt human, she couldn't do her duty...* Kagome lowered her face. *I don't want to see the rest... I don't want to...!*  
  
But of course she had to.  
  
It was not the end, by a long shot.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAh~~~~~~~~~ Tragedy~! Angst~! Wheeeeee~ I'm loving this~~ Hee hee~ But you realize, there's tragic scenes coming up that Kagome HAS to go through (since she's reliving all of it, and I mean ALL.OF.IT.) and I'm sort of enjoying torturing her~  
  
Kagome:: ::pout:: Inuyasha, why don't you, like... kick her or something! You're supposed to be protecting me~!  
  
Inuyasha:: ::not sympathetic at ALL:: Hey, the pressure's been on me since chapter 7~~ ::dances around the room:: Sweet reprieve~~  
  
Kagome:: I hate you both~  
  
Tessen:: grin:: See you in chapter 26~ Okie, ja~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	26. Human Feelings

Okay don't kill me, seeing how I am in the midst of Inu/Kik territory, and it felt good to write it. (as much as I preached about hating the idea of ME writing about Kikyou, it was a refreshing change from sweet, happy Kagome~ lol But dun worry I'm still a die-hard Inu/Kag fan. They're too cute~!)  
  
Anyway~ here is chapter 26~  
  
Disclaimer: Do I look like Rumiko Takahashi-sensei to you?  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Seven :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part 2)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Six :: Human Feelings  
  
Inuyasha backed up again, sniffing the ground deeply. Yes, here, the scents were still together, still heading east. He crawled forward a little bit, where the scent cut off. His nose didn't lie. And his nose was telling him that Kikyou and Kagome had disappeared, vanished into thin air.  
  
*What the fuck is going ON!?* he demanded mentally, *How do two women disappear in the space of two feet!?* He punched one fist into the ground and crawled off to another space, hoping to catch the elusive scent again, but he knew it was no good.   
  
After an hour of following after them, he had almost caught up with them to this place, an empty clearing, but abruptly the two mikos' scents cut off, as if they had just ceased to exist. He had already tried several times to tell himself that maybe it was just some weird phenomenon, or perhaps the Shinidamachuu had flown away with them.  
  
In either case... he was sure he could have found them.   
  
He was worried of course, more than he had ever known. He wasn't sure what Kikyou would do to Kagome. He didn't think she would kill her, but she had tried before, so God only knew what she would attempt. He wondered what they were doing.   
  
"Dammit," he said aloud, his internal struggle surfacing for only a moment before he sank back into his near-despairing abyss, hands digging into the dirt angrily. *Kagome...*  
  
He paused suddenly, his ultra-sensitive ears catching the sound of faint crackling. He looked up. There, inches from his nose, was a barrier. He couldn't see it, per say, but he could sense it. Carefully he reached out and poked at it, coming back with a slight yelp and a singed forefinger.  
  
Kikyou had constructed a barrier~! No wonder he couldn't find them, she was protecting their scent from him. *Dammit! I can't just stand here and do NOTHING!*   
  
His hand instantly was at his side and the hanyou drew Tessaiga. The blade glowed red with his intent and he lifted the barrier-cutting sword, glaring down at the invisible wall that cut him off from his love. "Kaze no Kizu~!"  
  
He slashed down into the barrier and it split, and Inuyasha ran in without a second thought. He ran for maybe ten feet when he came across the clearing. There was a small cave nearby, a thick canopy of leaves overhead, and the night seemed ethereal and unsettling with the worm-like Shinidamachuu that flew around.  
  
And there in the middle of the clearing, Kagome was leaned against Kikyou and Kikyou against her, their arms around one another, their eyes both closed as if asleep. Inuyasha drew back in slightly in confusion. "What..."  
  
*Inuyasha...*  
  
His heart skipped a beat and he caught his breath. Surely, just now, he had heard... both of them? In complete unison, Kagome and Kikyou had spoken his name.   
  
His hand clenched at his side. *I'll wait...*  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome, in the vision as Kikyou, slipped her arms around Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, please.. listen to me.."  
  
The hanyou wouldn't look at her, and she thought she could see tears in his eyes. No... it was impossible. Inuyasha didn't cry. He had never wept in front of her. She didn't think he could. She tightened her embrace, trying to knock him from his stupor to hug her back. But he didn't yield to her, which hurt her deeply. He *always* hugged her. It was just the way he was, he loved to be touched. He loved being held.  
  
It was she who usually pulled away from him.   
  
"What do you want, bitch?" His voice was laced with pain and venom. He was trying to hurt her. Kikyou pressed her lips together, clutching the soft red fabric in her hands to keep him from pulling away.  
  
"Inuyasha, please, listen to me," she repeated, and Inuyasha snarled at her. "What for, so you can try to explain what you meant by that?! I've had enough of fucking deceiving humans and I've had enough of you! I don't..." He frowned, voice softening, "...I don't want to be hurt anymore."  
  
Kikyou looked up at him, almost horrified at what she saw, and when he realized what he was doing, he shoved her off and turned away from her, rubbing his eyes angrily. "Goddamn it!"  
  
Kikyou was shocked. *He's... crying! Have I.. Have I hurt him that deeply?* She slipped her arms around him, burying her face in his silver hair. "I'm so so sorry Inuyasha... I didn't mean to hurt you. I, the one person who should know how deep your wounds run, also wounded you. I'm sorry... Please forgive me."  
  
After a moment, Inuyasha turned, holding her back, and he lowered his face to her hair. Kikyou hugged him tighter, her hands gripping the back of his haori. God, how she longed for this. She simply wanted to be with him. Why was that so difficult?! After they were silent for a long time, he asked softly, "Why don't you want to marry me...?"  
  
"I want to! I never said that I didn't want to.... But I can't... It's a pathetic excuse, but... I can't marry you because... you're a demon. The jewel is already becoming darker, because I'm allowing demons to run free in this world." She looked up at him, cupping his cheek. "The world now must tolerate youkai... because I tolerate one of them."  
  
Inuyasha was silent, and then nodded. "I guess... that makes sense." He sat down hard, bringing Kikyou with him, and she nestled herself against his chest, forcing herself not to weep uncontrollably. Their situation was so goddamned unfair. If only he were human...  
  
Kikyou perked suddenly. If he... but it was crazy. He would never, ever agree to it. Inuyasha, more than anything, wanted power. He wanted to be respected, maybe even feared. He wanted that strength because that the name that went with it was stronger than hanyou.  
  
But she couldn't help it. She had to ask. She had to know. Like some stupid little girl, in a voice that didn't even sound like herself, she asked, "Inuyasha, if you can become a full youkai with the jewel, wouldn't you consider.... becoming human?"  
  
The hanyou leaned back from her sharply. "What??" Kikyou nodded. "You could become a human. If you were human, we could be together..."  
  
Inuyasha looked incredulous. "Become human...? ......Me??"  
  
"Yes," Kikyou replied, "You're a hanyou after all, and so you are half-human. The jewel has the power to work for either good or evil, but it has only ever been used for evil. If it were used to do something incredibly good, like turn a hanyou boy into a human, then it would be purified and probably disappear."  
  
Inuyasha looked away, and after a minute asked softly, "Kikyou... if it disappeared, what would happen to you?"  
  
Kikyou smiled softly and looked away. "My job is to protect the jewel. If... it didn't exist, I would become a normal woman, and be allowed to live a normal life. I would probably be able to get married and have children. I would be an everyday woman, like the girls in the village."  
  
She looked at Inuyasha. He was silent, his face drawn and his cold yellow eyes narrowed. Suddenly he stood, making as if to dash into the forest again, and Kikyou grabbed his hand in hers. He paused as she spoke. "Think about it for a few days. I don't want you to be unhappy, Inuyasha, and if... becoming human is too much for me to ask of you, then... I won't ask again."  
  
Inuyasha didn't respond, but gently tugged his hand from hers. "I'll come to see you in a few days." And with that he was gone.  
  
~*~  
  
"Oneesama, I have a message for you."  
  
Kikyou looked up, rubbing her eyes. "Yes, Kaede??" She forced the wobble out of her voice, hating the sound of it. The little girl noticed it nonetheless and went to her. "Oneesama, are you crying??"  
  
"No, Kaede, I'm fine..." Kikyou replied, and Kaede sighed. "It's because you haven't seen that Inu no niichan in a week! Are you sure he doesn't have another lover by now~" Kikyou lowered her eyes. "Kaede, you are a devious youngster." Kaede smiled at her. "I'll go prepare supper."   
  
As she was leaving, Kaede turned and said with a wicked smile, "Oh, and by the way, the message is that Inuyasha is waiting for you under the oak tree by the river."  
  
Kikyou gasped at her younger sister's words, and leapt up, running as fast as she could out towards to the clearing by the river. She reached it, out of breath, and looked up into the branches of the tree he usually waited in for her. "Inuyasha???"  
  
"I'm down here," he replied quietly, and she peered around the tree. He was leaned against it, his eyes sad. Kikyou's bottom lip quivered but she held fast. "In..."  
  
"Do you want to go for a ride?"  
  
Kikyou looked confused. "What?"  
  
Inuyasha looked directly at her. "I got a boat, and I wanted to take you for a ride, like I see some other couples do. Or do you not want to go.. with me?" Kikyou sagged a bit and nodded. "No, I'll go."  
  
Kikyou watched him the entire time. He was a very beautiful man, in a very rugged way, and since the day they had met she had watched him. Every move he had ever made she had commit to memory. The way he glared at his enemies, the way he could be right in front of you one moment and the next in a tree pouting; the way he smiled those rare true smiles.  
  
But today she didn't want that, she just wanted to hear his voice. She had missed him more than she had thought possible, and yet, they had finally been able to meet again, and he refused to speak.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
"Yes?" he replied monotonously and she frowned. "Why won't you speak?"  
  
"I was thinking," he answered simply, and Kikyou bit her lip. "Well say something to me, I missed you...! I.. needed to see you, to hear your voice, and now..."  
  
"Alright..." Inuyasha shifted, but all she saw was a shuffle of his feet and shake of the silver mane. "I... I was thinking all this time," he began, "I spent the last week, thinking about you, thinking about what you asked me.... and thinking about me. And I realized that...you are the first person other than my mother who loved me. And, to a degree, you accepted me as I am. I know that you can't have me this way because... of who you are.. but..."  
  
He turned his face to look at her, his eyes hidden. "I..." Inuyasha turned back, as he pulled the boat up to the dock and he got out. Kikyou followed shortly, slightly aggravated that he wasn't able to get out what he was trying to say.  
  
As she followed him to the dock and stepped out, she tripped, and pitched forward, catching herself against Inuyasha's chest. The hanyou sucked in breath through his teeth, as if her touching him were painful. She looked up, and Inuyasha looked back down at her, his love for her more than standing out on his face, as clear as the water around them.  
  
Then he said, "Yes."  
  
He threw aside the oar and grabbed her, crushing her to him. "I want to be with you... I'll become human, and live with you!"  
  
Kikyou gasped, standing against him in shock, and dropped her bow and quiver, which clattered to the wooden dock without a second thought. She pulled away and kissed him full on the mouth. He kissed her back, hard, passionate, and after a moment Kikyou pulled away, burying her face into his shoulder. "We can live together. We can~"  
  
"We will. I don't care what happens, just as long as you and I..." he said, cutting himself off, choking on his feelings. Kikyou leaned back and brushed her hand over his cheek. "Tomorrow, at dawn, I will bring the Shikon no Tama to you, at the clearing where we met."  
  
He nodded, and she hugged him again. "I love you, Inuyasha~!"  
  
"I love you... Kikyou."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Okay, we're almost there, we're almost there~ Don't get your shorts in a wad~   
  
The next chapter! "The Fatal End" - The encounter between Kagome and Kikyou is over! Yay! No more Inu/Kik goop!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	27. The Fatal End

This chapter is one of my favorites, simply because its one of my favorite scenes~! (when they flashback to this part as many times as they do, you get to where "its okie", "its monotonous", "you hate it", and then you go into a full circle and love it again, lol)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha~ I wish I did b/c I'm a selfish lil wench but I don't so hoowha.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Seven :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part 2)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Seven :: The Fatal End  
  
Kikyou looked around, her mouth tight in a small frown. "He's late, I wonder where he is??"  
  
She sighed, looking up at the tree. This oak tree was the one that they had met under every time they longed to see one another. The tree that underneath its branches, Inuyasha had confessed that he loved her. And underneath this tree he would become human-- for her.   
  
She smiled. All night she had stayed up, thinking of him, like some crazed young maiden. She couldn't help it. She loved him so much.  
  
She wondered briefly what he looked like as a human. Hanyous had periods of times that they lost their youryoku, and she was almost certain it was the night of the black moon, the first day of the month, because Inuyasha had never revealed himself on that night to her. He was with her daily and sometimes at night too, but never on the first day.  
  
She looked down at the jewel in her hand. A perfectly round, slight pinkish glass ball, attached to a chain of shells. A jewel which contained pure hatred and evil, purified at once by her hand. A cursed jewel that gave strength to demons, and would be on this day used to silence the youkai blood of a young hanyou.  
  
*As much as I love him, I can't help but say good riddance. Youkai are no good. And I fear one day I would lose my Inuyasha to the monster that lives inside him. Best to... get rid of him now.*  
  
From behind her she heard the rustling of the grass, and seconds later--  
  
--there was a terrible sound of tearing flesh and clothes and Kikyou gasped, the pain in her back incredible. She fell forward, somewhere in her twisted, pain-drenched mind wondering where all the blood was coming from, and she looked up, opening her eyes.   
  
The Shikon no Tama was ahead of her, lying in a pool of her blood. She reached out for it, to pull it back, when someone's foot smashed down upon her hand.  
  
"You fool," said devastatingly familiar voice, "Are you so stupid? I have no wish to become human!"  
  
Kikyou's blood ran cold, and she lifted her face a bit to meet the figure kneeling down at her. His right hand came down, the claws dripping with blood and torn meat. A painfully familiar teenage boy took the Shikon no Tama from her wavering hand and grinned at her. "Thanks for this, though. I sure appreciate it."  
  
Kikyou stared at him, shocked. *Inu...yasha...*  
  
He turned and began to walk away, towards the village. After a few steps he turned back and glared at her with the most wicked grin she had ever seen on his face. "You know, this jewel... it needs to absorb more bitterness... more evil." He resumed his trek back towards her home, "The people in your village... I'm going to kill them all."  
  
Kikyou's mouth hung open in horror. Her whole body shook from the pain. He had deceived her... that.. filthy, wretched hanyou had gotten close to her, made her love him, and then turned around and killed her, in the name of his true goal.   
  
"D.. damn you..." She lifted her head, trying so hard not cry. "GOD DAMN YOU~!!!"  
  
She lay in the grass, in her steadily growing pool of blood, weeping. How could she have been so stupid?! How could she love that... that deceitful monster? Even now.. "I still love him..."  
  
*If I show my weaknesses to anyone, if I waver... some demon will get the better of me.*  
  
"Well he certainly got me..." she laughed bitterly, and then the bitterness of tears and blood met her mouth. "Bastard.. I can't.." Her mind flashed with the shock of Inuyasha's last words.   
  
*The people in your village... I'll kill them all.*  
  
"I can still.. stop him."  
  
Kikyou forced herself to her feet, and struggled the relatively short distance back to the village. She could hear the horrified shrieks of those who attempted to hold back Inuyasha, those who were fighting in her stead. *Bastard... I won't.... ever, EVER... forgive you.*  
  
She saw a bow and quiver, which had been thrown aside, probably by a shocked villager. She took up the bow, fighting a wave of pain in her back and shoulder, and reached for a single arrow. A single arrow was all she would need.  
  
In her mind, Kagome watched. Slowly she comprehended what was happening. What had happened before and what would now happen-- again.   
  
What she would have to watch. What she would have to do.  
  
Kikyou watched him as he shot into the hokora where the Shikon no Tama was kept, and she caught her breath, her blurring eyes searching for a shot. It would be his escape; his escape that she would be able to take the shot. She saw it after only a moment. "The.. tree..."  
  
The Goshinboku.   
  
It was the entrance to his sanctuary, to the forest where he lived, called Inuyasha's Forest because of that very thing. She fought her way towards the Goshinboku, and set the arrow to the bow, pulling back and fighting the hot stabs in her back.   
  
She could see him again, bounding from the hokora. She had been right. He was going to disappear into the forest and to do that he would pass in front of the Goshinboku. He had to.  
  
And he would meet his end there.  
  
*That was your fatal mistake, Inuyasha~ if you get close enough to me to kill me.. surely I... would get close enough.. to be able to kill you.*  
  
She could hear that voice, the voice she loved. The voice she hated. "Too fucking bad, bastards~ Now that I've got this, I can become a real demon~!"  
  
"Take him in one shot," she said to herself, and grit her teeth. "INUYASHA~!"  
  
His name called, he looked up for only a moment, but it was enough. Kagome closed her eyes as she felt her fingers release the arrow, and it shot forward. She heard a gasp and a cry as the arrow pierced his chest, slamming him back against the tree.  
  
She opened her eyes to see the Shikon no Tama hit the ground and roll, Inuyasha hanging against the tree, gasping in pain, one hand tightening around the arrow shaft. She watched it slip off uselessly. She could see the hurt and the betrayal in his eyes, and she could feel Kikyou's own pain.   
  
She wanted to scream at them then, to tell them it was Naraku who had tricked them. Even if she never got the chance to know him because of that, even if falling through the well and falling in love with him would never become an option, she knew he loved her. Inuyasha loved Kikyou.   
  
He might have been happy. They might have gotten married like they wanted, they might have had children. He might've grown old, and died an old man. And because she loved him now, she wanted him happy.  
  
But she couldn't. After all, it was only a memory. Something she could only watch and not change. Never. It was only a memory, with all the emotions attached.  
  
All of the emotions, which is why she realized why Inuyasha did not perish on that day, 50 years ago. *Kikyou... still loved him. That's why he didn't die. Every other youkai who ever attempted to get the jewel, she killed. But Inuyasha only slept-- because she loved him...*   
  
Kagome's heart ached at that thought. *She didn't... use all of her power.*  
  
"Ki.. Kikyou.. you bitch... how.. could you..." Inuyasha slumped against the tree, his hand falling, his eyes slipping in and out of focus. And then Kagome saw his eyes close for the last time.  
  
The last time... until she would come and wake him, 50 years later.  
  
Kikyou moved forward, falling to her knees and taking up the Shikon no Tama. Kaede was there, and so were other villagers, and they were talking incoherently. All she could hear was Kaede.  
  
"Oneesama~! Oneesama, how did you get that wound?!!"  
  
"My..own.. foolishness," Kikyou replied vaguely, clutching the jewel, and then Kaede said, "Oneesama, you have to get help, you--"  
  
*Shikon no Tama, I shall take you to the other world with me.*  
  
"I'm beyond saving... so, listen to me, Kaede." She handed her little sister the Shikon no Tama. "You must take this, the Shikon... no Tama... and burn it with.. my body... You must not let it.. get into the hands of those with... evil hearts~!"  
  
*Inuyasha... I'll be with you shortly... in Hell.*  
  
"Oneesama?!" Kagome felt all feeling leave her, and her eyes close as she fell to the side. "ONEESAMA~!!!!!"  
  
There was nothing for a moment. Silent, black abyss. There was an odd feeling, like time was moving quickly around her, over and under and 'Kikyou' was now 'Kagome.'   
  
Then, a feeling of floating up, and she reached the surfaced again, and it was like breathing. She gasped aloud like she had held her breath underwater for several minutes and she was pushed sharply backwards. Kagome opened her eyes and saw Kikyou's gray ones ahead of her.  
  
The dead miko looked awestruck, as if she could not believe the things she now knew, but Kagome noticed that her eyes were gray again. Not red.  
  
She was Kikyou again.  
  
Then all the energy leave her body, and her vision of the other miko blurred. "Ki.. kyou.." Kagome moaned, falling backwards. She hardly heard it as sleep suddenly claimed her, but it was the distinct voice of her hanyou.  
  
Inuyasha screamed her name. Kagome sighed softly. *Inuyasha...*   
  
And then all was black.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Heh heh~! My favorite scene was of course, the arrow. BWA HA~ BWA HA~ BWA HA HA HA HA~ That was SO fun to write~  
  
Awh man, you people should have seen me~!!! I was crazy. I wanted everything to be as accurate as possible (with a little bit of improvisation of course) but I watched episode 1, 14 and 15 so many times that my mother (who couldn't pronounce a WORD of Japanese if her life depended on it) came into my bedroom and said "If I hafta hear one more 'naze uragitta Inuyasha' I'm gonna naze uragitta you" which proves that she had no idea what it meant, but it was still funny~  
  
Chapter 28 -- Inuyasha's encounter with the real Kikyou~!! Please review and as always, okie ja~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	28. The Oath

Okie ya'll, we have reached the end of Inu/Kik domain. Please keep your seatbelts secured until the ride has reached a complete stop.  
  
Disclaimer: I just had the weirdest case of deja vu~ I'm sure I've told you this before, but I don't own Inuyasha~!!  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Seven :: Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyou (part 2)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Eight :: The Oath  
  
Kikyou stepped back as Inuyasha darted to the girl's side, redressing herself while Inuyasha fawned over the girl. She was still unconscious, but Kikyou had expected it. After all, when it came to dealing with souls, it was an exhausting adventure.  
  
But then, she was dead. She could get another soul anytime, and she had neither energy nor vitality to lose on the event. Which is why she could still move.  
  
The hanyou was still with the other miko, his face tight, eyes wide with panic as he looked over his woman. Kikyou glared at Kagome's unconscious form. *Yes, that... girl. The one he finds ever so much more precious than he ever thought of me.*  
  
As she gathered her things she frowned at the dirt. *Looking into my part of Kagome's soul reminded me of the time when Inuyasha loved me... But not only did she glimpse into my life, but I saw part of hers... And I know what Inuyasha had said to her.*  
  
"Kikyou...?"  
  
The dead woman stopped. She turned slightly and her face met his. He looked wary, tentative, but underneath his caution was a great deal of apprehension. Worry. For whom?  
  
"Yes, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Are you... the real Kikyou?" He stood up, having removed his haori and wrapping it around Kagome's slender form. He swallowed, looking guilty, as if he regretted what was about to come out of his mouth.   
  
"Are you the woman I fell in love with?"  
  
~*~  
  
When he saw them at first he had been worried. Rather, curious with underlying worries. Never in his life had he seen them together in such close proximity, and certainly not holding each other. And when Kikyou abruptly awoke and shoved the smaller girl away, and Kagome's blank eyes slid open, his heart shot to his throat. She mouthed his name, and then she was gone.  
  
He checked her first, her pulse, her scent, her breathing, everything was fine. She was just sleeping. He tugged off his haori and wrapped his love in it, the fire-rat fur sure to keep her warm while he dealt with the other.   
  
His heart now at ease, the second matter at hand, Kikyou, presented itself. Questions burned in his mind. What had she done? What had transpired between them? Why didn't she kill her? Would Kagome be okay?  
  
And he looked at her and at once knew who she was. She wasn't the poor defeated soul who had returned to life hating him. She wasn't the amnesiac demon miko whose goal was to kill him simply because Uramiko had told her.  
  
She was his Kikyou, the woman he had held to his chest all those years ago and confessed that she was precious to him, that he cherished her. The woman he would have given up the one dream that he'd ever had just to be with her. The one who had followed him in death because she loved him so much.  
  
And she was walking away from him without a word.  
  
Is it going to end like this? he asked himself, Are you going to let her walk away?!!  
  
"Kikyou...?"  
  
She stopped. There was a swish of the long hair and she turned slightly. Her face met his. She read his expression slowly and then her eyes fell on his once more.  
  
"Yes, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Are you... the real Kikyou?" He stood up, trying to swallow past the steadily growing lump in his throat. He had to ask. He needed to be sure.   
  
"Are you the woman I fell in love with?"  
  
Kikyou's solemn gray eyes fell on him with a sadness that he hadn't seen since before her death. They were empty of the hatred he had seen in the past months.  
  
"Yes. I am Kikyou again."  
  
At once it was like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. What he had hoped would take off a burden from his chest had done the opposite. Now... now he was faced with what he had sworn to Kagome, to himself, that he would do.  
  
He had to tell Kikyou goodbye.  
  
And somehow that was ever much more difficult than he had expected. It was difficult to breathe. His chest was tight, his heart pounding in his ears, his throat constricting. No words would come. He changed the subject.  
  
"What did you do to her?"  
  
Kikyou paused, as if wondering who 'her' was, or perhaps thinking nasty thoughts about the younger girl, before she turned her sad eyes on him. "What would you have me tell you, Inuyasha?" she asked, "Would you have me lie and say that I tried to kill her.... or do you want the truth?"  
  
"What is the truth?"  
  
Kikyou responded quietly. "I wanted to remember you."  
  
Inuyasha jolted as if physically shocked. As if the image of Kikyou, as if her words, had physically struck him. She looked the same as she had years ago, as the same as he remembered. He felt a sudden guilt then, remembering all the times he had spent with this woman, and it was maddening. Maddening that he could not keep control over his feelings.   
  
As long as Kagome was around, he knew what he wanted. But when faced with his past, he lost track of his true heart. And he didn't know how to tell Kikyou that he loved Kagome. That he would have to go back on his promise to go to Hell with her.  
  
Inuyasha blinked, noticing the dead miko approaching him. Gently she reached out and touched his cheek, brushing back the lock of silver hair. "Now that I am myself again... you and I can die together. Will you come to Hell with me now?"  
  
"Kikyou... I.."  
  
She ignored his flustered attempt to speak and slipped her arms around his ribs, her hands at the small of his back, her head against his chest. He froze. It was strange now, strange and uncomfortable having her hold him this way. 50 years ago, he would have let no other woman hold him. But now, the only one he wanted this close was Kagome.   
  
*Inuyasha...!*  
  
He loved Kagome.  
  
He took Kikyou by the shoulders and pushed her off him gently.  
  
Kikyou looked hurt, and the expression stabbed at him. It was her true heart after all, the true Kikyou, and it tore at him. She looked so much like Kagome when she looked at him like that. "Please don't look at me that way," he pleaded, "I can't bear it."  
  
"Why won't you hold me? It's been so long..."  
  
Inuyasha looked away guiltily. "I..."  
  
She was silent. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and in only a second, the pale features he knew so well transformed to anger and she lifted her hand, slapping him across the cheek viciously. Inuyasha made no motion to stop her.  
  
"How dare you," she said bitterly, "I was testing you, to see if what I saw in the bond between myself and that pathetic little girl was true. I believed so vehemently that it wasn't. But it is. You're in love with her!"  
  
Inuyasha looked directly into her eyes, but said nothing.  
  
Kikyou grit her teeth together, her face hardening. Why was he looking at her like that?! Why wouldn't he wouldn't say anything?! How dare he betray her! How could he, after he swore to protect her?!!  
  
After a long moment Kikyou stepped away from him. "I see." Inuyasha looked up, watching her helplessly as the Shinidamachuu coiled around her. He took a step forward and grabbed her arm. "Kikyou, wait--! I still want to help you! I want to save you!"  
  
Her eyes flared in anger. "What?"  
  
"Kikyou, my feelings for you may have changed, but you're still... the first woman I fell in love with! I still care what happens to you!" He breathed out shakily. "Please. Don't go on this way. You have to let go of the past."   
  
She was, again, silent. After a moment she reached down, placing her free hand on his, and Inuyasha cried out when her miko energy crackled around him. He staggered back in pain, landing against a tree. Despondently he looked up at her. "Ki.. Kikyou..."  
  
She looked down at him, her face bland of anything except the anger. "At one time you told me I was not your enemy. That you had never stopped thinking about me. And yet you betrayed me. How dare you presume to try to SAVE me!?!"  
  
"Kikyou..."   
  
Her face stiffened in a pure, absolute hatred. "I have told you time and time again that I'm going to take you to Hell with me. That when you die, it will be my hand that sends you. That has not changed. I swear I will kill you Inuyasha. You and I will descend to Hell together." She smiled, somewhat bitterly. "For all the times you couldn't trust me before, you can trust me on that."  
  
"Kikyou...!"  
  
Inuyasha watched her float away, feeling more powerless than he ever had in his life. *Kikyou...*  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome opened her eyes weakly and looked around. She was in a cave, it seemed, and it was dark and cold. Well, especially cold seeing as she was still only wearing a bra, but she noticed Inuyasha's red haori draped over her.   
  
She noticed the orange dimness of a fire and turned her head, and saw Inuyasha. He was leaned against the wall, facing her, but hadn't noticed her yet. He was staring blankly at the fire, his face the picture of a troubled young man.   
  
He was tending the fire and when he glanced up, his eyes met hers. She saw a play of emotions cross his fire-lit features, going from bland torment to happiness to worry-- well, Inuyasha's worry, which was a mixture of concern and anger for having made him worry. He got up, going to her and kneeling. "Kagome...??"  
  
"Inuyasha...?" she replied.  
  
He sighed deeply, relieved, and reached out and brushed the hair from her face. "Thank God, I was scared." She smiled vaguely hearing him admit that. "Sorry to have worried you..." she said softly, and then looked around. "Where are we?"  
  
The hanyou shifted to sit completely on his bottom, and leaned his cheek into his hand, resting his elbow against his knee boredly. "In a cave near where I found you... We've been here for hours."  
  
"I'm sorry I scared you, it didn't seem that I was out that long..." Kagome sat up, and the haori slipped down to her waist, leaving her bra open to the public. Both Inuyasha and Kagome blushed and she yanked the jacket back up while Inuyasha turned his head.  
  
Kagome blinked. "Inuyasha, where's my shirt...?"  
  
"It's by the fire, I didn't know really how to put it on you so I just gave you mine," he said helplessly and she snickered, scooting over to the fire and pulling on the blouse while he stared blankly at an outcropping rock in the wall. When she had redressed she sat next to him, wrapping her arms around his ribs, resting her head in the crevice of his neck. "You're so cute when you blush," she said and Inuyasha blushed brighter.   
  
"I'm cute?"  
  
"Un, sometimes the things you do... they make me laugh." She giggled again and he turned his head to glance at her before slipping an arm firmly around her. After awhile he relaxed and sighed deeply, and Kagome caught her breath. He was completely at ease with her. *Is it a sign of trust...?*  
  
She smiled at the sound of his deep breathing and relaxed also. She began to try and recall what had happened. Coming back to Sengoku-jidai, and the zombies, and then Kikyou--  
  
Kikyou.   
  
Kikyou and the soul joining and the memory transfer. And the memories.   
  
Kagome tensed up in Inuyasha's embrace, and he glanced down at her. "Kagome?" No reply. She wasn't listening to him; she was lost in her own recollection.  
  
Kagome bit her lip. Those memories weren't hers, they were Kikyou's, but she still saw them. They weren't as fresh in her mind as they had been just before she passed out, which made her feel better to know that maybe they were sinking back into that deep darkness of her soul that was Kikyou's, so she wouldn't have to see that image of the arrow slamming Inuyasha against the tree. So she wouldn't have to see that devastated, anguished look when she felt herself say she couldn't be with him.  
  
Well, not her. Kikyou. Kikyou had hurt him. Not Kagome.  
  
"Kagome??" She looked up at Inuyasha. His face was clouded with concern, his mouth tight and drawn, the yellow eyes blinking in confusion. "Are you okay?" She nodded, lowering her face, and gripped his white yukata in her hands tightly. After a moment she whispered, "I'm fine."  
  
"Kagome..." She looked up and Inuyasha's eyes locked on hers. "What happened between you and Kikyou? She.. she wouldn't tell me."  
  
What could she say? It had been like watching them. Like the secrets Inuyasha had kept to himself, the parts of himself that he kept for Kikyou, Kagome had witnessed. She felt she had been trespassing. She also felt extremely jealous. That was a part of him she would never be able to have.  
  
"Nothing," she replied, looking away, and Inuyasha snorted. "Liar," he said, "Tell me what happened."  
  
She bit her lip. "When Kikyou took me... she and I... shared our soul for a moment... and... And I saw everything that happened between you and Kikyou......"  
  
Inuyasha's body stiffened in her hold but he said nothing as she continued. "I don't understand how it worked, but when we separated... she was Kikyou again."   
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the fire again. Kikyou and Kagome's soul, for a moment, was one. Put back together again first the first time since Kikyou's resurrection. It baffled him constantly how Kagome was even in any way a reincarnation or a part of Kikyou, and vice versa. They were both so different. And he liked them that way.   
  
After a long moment of quiet he said, "I talked to Kikyou." Kagome froze in his arms and tugged away to look at him. "What happened...??"  
  
There was that lump again. Bigger than last time. Inuyasha swallowed past it, his face dark. "... It's... it's over."  
  
Kagome stilled instantly. Certainly he didn't mean... OVER? She had waited for so long to hear him say those words, that it was over between him and Kikyou. Her jaw disengaged and she gawped, and the only thing she could manage to say was, "What?"  
  
Inuyasha looked at her. There was no trace of hurt on his face, not a hint of sadness. Only a matter-of-fact tone which never wavered. "She knew. Before I could tell her, she knew my heart had changed... but now... she thinks I betrayed her. She swore to kill me."   
  
In an instant, her happiness at hearing that announcement dropped to Kagome's toes. Guilt and horror and sudden pain for Inuyasha refilled its gap. How dare she be happy, when it was obvious he was hiding his feelings?   
  
No matter how in love with her he was, some part of his heart still loved Kikyou and cared for her. Kagome understood that. And surely hearing her oath to take him to Hell must have hurt him.  
  
The fairytale ending for her fantasy life crumbled to pieces before her very eyes. She had wished desperately that Kikyou could find peace and that it would be simple and painless for Inuyasha. *I never wanted it to turn out like this... I didn't want him to be hurt... And...I didn't want Kikyou hurt either.* She buried her face in his shoulder. "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry..."  
  
Inuyasha nodded vaguely. Mentally he reprimanded himself for thinking for a moment that Kagome might be indifferent to the situation. *Kagome's not like that... Even after everything Kikyou has done to her... and everything I've put her through... Kagome stayed by me... She doesn't wish anything bad to happen to Kikyou.*   
  
He slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, letting her warmth and her scent meld to him and heal him. "It's okay," he said softly, "You're with me." Kagome nodded quietly, pressing her lips gently to his cheek and hugging his neck.   
  
*I can't stand seeing you like this, Inuyasha... Please get better soon and become your old self again...*  
  
I have told you time and time again that I'm going to take you to Hell with me. That when you die, it will be my hand that sends you. That has not changed. I swear I will kill you Inuyasha. You and I will descend to Hell together. For all the times you couldn't trust me before, you can trust me on that.  
  
The hanyou bent his neck, resting his head on Kagome's shoulder, sighing brokenly. He had never felt like this before. He didn't know what to do. It bothered him, and it also bothered him that it bothered him so much. It was aggravating and exhausting being told that by her, that she would kill him at any cost. Just thinking about it made him feel weak.  
  
Kagome had once told him she couldn't compete with Kikyou, because she was alive. And then she had died. Losing her had put so much in perspective for him, made him realize how precious she was to him. And he had chosen her. He didn't regret it. He didn't regret loving her, and wanting to be with her.  
  
But now Kikyou was left to wander the world, and that made his guilt feel even heavier, his uncertainty all that much more distressing. And what made it so much more difficult was knowing that now... he would have to kill her.  
  
*Before, I know I couldn't do it... but now that I have to... when it comes down to it... will I be able to kill you... Kikyou?*  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^___________________________________^ Heh... Heh...... Heh......... ^0^V Oh yeah~!   
  
Do you guys realize the gravity of what happened?! INUYASHA BROKE UP WITH KIKYOU!!! YAYA!  
  
Lemme know what you guys think!! Okie, ja!!!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	29. Clues Point to the West

YAY~! Some Tama stuff~! Ive been wanting to write this part for so long~!!! Ever since the very beginning, when I first started writing 2bwu2morrow, this idea had been in my head. Whee~! I hope you all enjoy~! And thank you for loving my little OC so much!!!!! Usually OCs don't take very well; I'm glad Tama-chan and Tanpopo-chan are so popular!!  
  
Tama and Tanpopo:: ::bows:: Doumo arigatou gozaimasu. ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: Tessen, wearing a little kimono and dancing around :: Ive got a lo-ve-ly bunch of co-co-nuts (deedly-deedly) there they are a-standing in a row (bump bumpa bump) Big ones~ Small ones~ Some as big as your head~  
  
Inuyasha :: o_0;;; What happened to this disclaimer...??  
  
Miroku :: ::sigh:: Tessen-sama got tired of repeating herself.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Eight :: The Western Inuyoukai  
  
Chapter Twenty-Nine :: Clues Point to the West  
  
The blackened sky began to lighten to blue as once again the sun rose from its earthen bed on the Sengoku-jidai. The night creatures fell to their sleep, sunlight splashing on the creatures of the light rising from their slumber to begin their days.  
  
In a large, heavily foliaged oak tree, Tama was also just waking up. Amber eyes squinted upon the brightening light and she stirred, stretching and moving down through the limbs, again turning her back to the rising run and heading west.  
  
As she ran she wondered what Inuyasha was doing. She didn't want him to worry, and he probably wouldn't, considering how little of a worrywart he was, so that set her at ease a little bit. It helped her continue on not having to wonder if he was getting his ass into trouble coming after her.  
  
But when he discovered where exactly it was she was going, she imagined he would worry. He would probably be angry; no, furious. And she would get a serious chewing out when she saw him next.  
  
*But,* she argued mentally, *Inuyasha has no damn right to say shit to me, for anything. In the real world, brothers and sisters separate all the time as adults. Twins are no exception. If this is what I want to do, if these are the people I choose to trust once more... and Inuyasha can't deal with it... then after this is over, I will return once more to them..... to say goodbye.*  
  
~*~  
  
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!~!"  
  
Inuyasha leaned back, covering his ears, and Kagome's eyes widened on their own, nearly falling from her face. Miroku and Sango seemed to grow humongous, fire blazing behind them. Sango even seemed to grow fangs, and the houshi looked downright murderous.  
  
"We were so worried about you two you didn't come back and it was getting dark and we kept looking for you and if you ever scare us like that again WE WILL KILL YOU DO YOU UNDERSTAND US?!~!"  
  
Crackle crackle went the fire.  
  
"Sorry, DAD, MOM," Inuyasha exaggerated, brushing them off and turning, where Shippou promptly smacked him in the head. "We were all worried, you jerk." Kagome bowed to them, smiling apologetically. "Gomen ne, we didn't mean to. After he found me, Inuyasha didn't leave me for a moment. I was completely safe."  
  
"What happened??" Sango asked, "What did Kikyou want?"  
  
"She didn't hurt you did she?!" Shippou and Tanpopo demanded at the same time and Kagome bit her lip. "No, no, I wasn't hurt. Well... it's hard to explain what exactly happened. But... Kikyou is herself again."  
  
"Herself? You mean..." Miroku began and Kagome nodded before it could come out of his mouth. *The woman Inuyasha fell in love with. She used me...to take back the heart she lost when she was revived.*  
  
She looked at Inuyasha and was surprised to see him NOT brooding. He was looking at her, his expression slightly worried. He took her hand in his for reassurance and squeezed gently. His hands were warm, and she blushed slightly. *Th-that's right... now that Inuyasha and Kikyou aren't... that means he and I can finally be together... It seems like forever since we made that promise...*   
  
She blushed even more as the little hentai in her started hurling long-since repressed thoughts to the front of her mind, laughing maniacally and screaming for things that for Kagome had been mere dreams for a long time. And they now had the chance to become reality.   
  
Mentally she bound and gagged the chibi-hentai Kagome and shook herself from her deep thoughts. "An-Anyway, where's Tama-chan? Not back yet?"  
  
At that, Inuyasha perked up, also suddenly noticing his sister had indeed not returned, and Miroku shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. Tama has been gone for two days now."  
  
Inuyasha cursed. "Damned woman, she's so fucking selfish."  
  
"Actually, with Tanpopo-chan's help, we started tracking her while we were waiting for you two... and we've been heading west for who knows how long. And we came across this." Sango handed the article, a cracked piece of some hard substance, to Inuyasha, who looked over it skeptically, sniffing here and there and examining every detail.   
  
On it he noticed a small crest, a diamond shape that was long horizontally, and colored bright ruby red. It was embroidered fancily with gold. He paled. *I know this crest... I've seen it before...* After a moment he looked up at them. Primarily at the taijiya. "Do you know what this is?"  
  
"I did, but the rest didn't," Sango replied, "I had to explain it."  
  
"Why?" Kagome wondered, peering at the object, "What is it?"  
  
"It's a piece of a armor, for a soldier in the western lands." Inuyasha told her and Kagome took it from him, looking over it in wonder and eventually confusion. After a minute she shrugged. "Okay, so what's the big deal?"  
  
Inuyasha pointed to the diamond-cut ruby. "This crest which marks the clan the soldier was from... is the mark of my family."  
  
Kagome gasped slightly, examining the piece more closely this time. A piece of stark-white armor, resembling bone, with a diamond-shaped ruby in the middle. She had seen it somewhere. Where...  
  
"I saw this before also," Kagome said, "I saw it... when Inuyasha got Tessaiga." Inuyasha nodded. "It was on my father's armor. I remember it from when..." He paused, obviously reluctant to say how he had known it and afterward he shrugged, shaking his head. "In any case, that's my family's crest."  
  
"Then this is the armor from one of your father's soldiers?" Sango suggested, and Inuyasha shook his head. "I doubt it. Aniki-- Sesshoumaru told me that after Oyaji died, most of our army deserted..."  
  
Kagome looked inquisitively at Inuyasha, who was looking a bit angry. At what exactly she wasn't sure, but she had noticed that Inuyasha had called Sesshoumaru "Aniki." He *never* did that. Never had, ever since they met.  
  
Kagome chewed on her thumbnail pensively, the rest of the conversation drowned out but her sudden pensiveness. *Why would Inuyasha do that... After all this time I've known him, Inuyasha has never once called Sesshoumaru by that name. Tama-chan calls him Ani-ue... but Inuyasha...*   
  
Suddenly something struck her. *Were Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru close at one time?*   
  
The thought of those two, the two brothers who hated each other so very much, being close in any form or fashion just threw her. There was simply no way they could have EVER been close. But then... why had Inuyasha said that name?  
  
Kohaku brought her back to reality quickly. "Then this is from years ago, when your father died?" Inuyasha shook his head, again cutting them off. "No, not my father's, but it is from my family. I know whose it is. And if you were tracking Tama when you found it, I think I know where's she's going also."  
  
"Really?!" Tanpopo squealed, and Kagome blinked. "Where, Inuyasha?"  
  
The hanyou looked down. "She's gone to meet the current lord to the rest of my remaining family, Kagetoki."  
  
~*~  
  
Tama opened her eyes sleepily and blinked. The sky was a heavy orange, the sun sinking in the western sky. Just a little after sunset. She had walked all day yesterday and most of the night, finally finding a tree to sleep in when exhaustion overcame her just shortly after morning. She had slept till sunset.  
  
Her destination was close at hand, maybe a few more hours, and she would arrive in the darkness of night. Not exactly a good thing, inuyoukai were more wary than ever at night, and since she and Inuyasha had been cast out of the clan she would most likely be considered a stranger, a foreigner to the group.   
  
In other words, NOT taken in with welcome arms.  
  
Vaguely she wondered why she had decided to come here. Possibly because they were the only ones who would know, but... why would they help her? She realized only now that she hadn't really thought it all out before she set out. It was unlikely Kagetoki would help her, even if he did know. And he had been the nicest of them all to begin with. The rest of them had all tried to kill her and Inuyasha.   
  
Inuyasha... She felt her thoughts drift back to her brother and his new family, his cherished comrades whom he had adopted as his own. The friends she had adopted also. Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Tanpopo and Kohaku.  
  
She imagined everyone was worried, but it was simply something she had to do. She had to reseal her youkai blood. She had sworn, secretly, to protect all of them, at any cost, no matter the danger. And if she was a danger then she was better off elsewhere. That was her thinking and she would stick by it.  
  
She stood on the branch, stretching before dropping down to the ground and bounding into the forested mountains that was her destination. After an hour of constant running the palace came into sight and she felt the apprehension swell in her chest. *Here goes...*  
  
The palace was just as she remembered, a huge cavernous den carved into the mountain, big enough for the monstrous true forms of inuyoukai. The bedchambers were underground, protected by rock and earth, and the family rooms, where all of them gathered to be together, were near the front. The room she was heading for, the conference room, was deepest in the cave. That was where Kagetoki would be.   
  
At the front of the cave there was the large gate with the family name, encrusted with gold and jewels, imprinted on it, and the large family crest, a diamond-cut ruby outlined with gold. There were two men standing guard. One of them saw her approach and cracked his knuckles, slipping into a defensive stance immediately.  
  
"State your name and business..." He stopped, looking her over in the blackness, and she heard the unmistakable sound of him sniffing out her scent. Then his voice took on a rougher edge. "Tama?"  
  
She swallowed, nodding, her head lowered almost shamefully. The man's voice lowered in disgust. "What the hell are you doing here, hanyou?! That you disgrace this house with your filth~!! Are you daft!?!"  
  
Tama dropped to her knees, lowering her voice. "Forgive me, I request an audience with Kagetoki-sama."  
  
The other man snorted. "Kagetoki-sama?!! You expect us to let you go through and defile our home and disgrace our lord with your presence?! These past 65 years have done you no service, hanyou, you're as stupid as your human blood can warrant!!"   
  
Instantly another voice spoke. "Kiyoshi, Takemura, that's enough."  
  
The two men turned, dropping to their knees in respect, and Tama closed her eyes, lowering herself even further to the ground, practically brushing her head against the dirt. "Kagetoki-sama.... I... I don't mean to offend, but.... I really require your advice.. your guidance... Please hear me out."  
  
There was silence for a moment and then the lord knelt down, his clawed hand taking Tama's chin. "This is no way for a child of the royal house, much less the great Inutaisho-sama, to act. Stand up, Tama."  
  
Tama pulled herself up, still not looking into his eyes, but he gently pushed her face up, and she saw him for the first time in 65 years. He looked the same as she remembered, so much like Sesshoumaru. Or her father perhaps.  
  
She wished she could remember her father.  
  
Silver hair, braided down to his ankles, and a blood-red crescent moon shape on his forehead. One violet stripe painted either cheek. He was dressed as a lord of the house, and his tail, fluffy and white as was Sesshoumaru's, draped over both shoulders. He looked very much like Sesshoumaru, his yellow eyes thin and narrowed. Tama closed her eyes and pulled away from him, as if she didn't believe herself worthy enough to look at him.   
  
Kagetoki seemed unfazed, but disappointed. "Our treatment of you as a child still haunts you I see... This is entirely my fault. Tama, I know the reason you come to me. Come; let us talk."  
  
Tama lowered her face, biting her bottom lip. "Yes........ Uncle."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: OKIE before I get any flames or comments about this-- The fluffy thing Sesshie wears over his shoulder has not officially been named a tail, but I consider it one, and my reasoning is this ::ahem::   
  
Kouga and Shippou, both full youkai, have tails. So Sesshie, as a full youkai, *must* have one *somewhere* and I'm claiming that thing. Plus that and if you look at Sesshie in his dog form, he has a huge abundance over fur over his shoulder, and he wouldn't have that if it wasn't attached to him, would he? So. ^___________________________________________^   
  
And don't review and go "yeah but Ginta and Hakkaku dont, so what of that? In the anime you get to see Fluffy-sama's rear end tons of times, nothing's attached! Huh?! Huh?! You aint talking now are ya gurl?!" Yeah I ain't~ Aint' got a explanation for that. Bear with me! ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Just ...IMAGINE... it's attached. ^-^V  
  
Anyway~ I feel so sorry for Tama-chan now, I picked on her alot in this chapter. And btw the "family crest" is simply something I made up. There IS a jewel on the front of Inutaisho's armor if you look, but I'm just using it for reference because I needed something to link everything together~ (I don't even know if it IS red, you get my drift? lol)  
  
And remember: please review!! Okie, ja!!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	30. Tense Love

Hiya! Thank you for the reviews, God I love you people! ^-^V You're so sweet! (although Im not sure about skipping class to read my fic... But then I skipped class tons of times to go to my anime store and read manga, so..... ;p Suck on that SCHOOL!) ANYWAY, lots of things to touch on!! (and most made apparent to me by a single review, how weird. Either she's not very tolerant or no one else noticed~ lol)  
  
Okie, A/N part one:: To all the Miro/San fans IM SO SORRY!!! I HAVE been leaving out your fave pairing, haven't I? Gomen gomen a thousand times GOMEN! (mine's Inu/Kag so I didn't even THINK about it) I had noticed this too, only to have salt thrown in the wound with shanasheart's review; thanks alot! (lol j/k)   
  
Anyway I had been working on it for awhile (Im not good with them you see! lol What, surprised?) And they make a delicious comeback in this chapter~ (just in time, I had a feeling shana and other Mir/San fans were waiting to fling me into a mob of ravenous wolves if I didn't get some M/S anything going PDQ. lmao~) So again gomen ne~! From this chapter onward till the end Miroku and Sango will be as obvious as they are in the original!  
  
A/N part two:: The ending, just to let you know, has already been written. With exception to some parts (like the Kagome/Kikyou thing and the thing Im doing right now), everything between chapter 7 and the ending was made up as I went and I am continuing to make it up as I go (which is why it sucks at some points). If you want to send me ideas I will be happy to try and incorporate them into the story (that would be COOL) but for anything about the ending, gomen! I already finished that part! ^-^V  
  
A/N part three:: To all the fans who ranted and raved about Kikyou's response to Inuyasha's decision between Kikyou and Kagome~ ::hysterical, evil cackle:: I love you guys~ your reviews are the best~ Never in my life would I have imagined that so many people who wanted that woman to be HAPPY! ^-^V Please stick with me till the ending!  
  
And finally A/N part four:: to understand the scene between Miroku and Sango in this first part you must delve back, WAY WAY back into chapter THREE (yes, three [3] san tres etc etc) of this fic, when Sango first calls him Miroku-sama and Inuyasha wonders why. Just keep that in mind. ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: hontou ni, taisetsu na~ mono igai, subete sutete~~  
  
Kagome :: At least now she's singing songs from our anime rather than a Disney movie.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Eight :: The Western Inuyoukai  
  
Chapter Thirty :: Tense Love  
  
"How much farther?"  
  
Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome, who was trudging slowly, walking her bike. The others were meandering along also, and he could hear them making 'we should stop soon' noises as well. Shippou had already fallen asleep in Kagome's basket. The hanyou blinked. He had only just begun to feel a little tired, the muscles in his legs starting to feel achy.   
  
But of course the others were human. And being Inuyasha he had exhausted them to the brink of sleepwalking. "Are you tired?" he asked stupidly, and Kagome snorted, a sound much like his own.  
  
"Only pooped to the point of passing out, thanks." she muttered and Inuyasha shrugged and from his tone, Kagome couldn't tell whether he was being serious or sarcastic. "Let's rest then, I can't have you guys passing out on me."  
  
The others promptly found a safe grove of trees around a hidden lake and sacked out, the kits immediately whining about food and Kohaku quietly agreeing. Kagome wanted nothing more than a bath and began rummaging through her pack for the necessary items.   
  
Sango settled next to a large tree and slipped off her sandals, rubbing her feet. In a rare display of maturity, Miroku did not take the opportunity to grope his intended as he sat next to her.   
  
He leaned over a bit, looking sincere. "Sango, do your feet ache?" Sango eyed the houshi warily before nodding and continuing to rub her toes. "A little."  
  
Miroku gently took her hands and removed them from her feet, and twisted her slightly, the small appendages resting in his lap. The taijiya girl stared at him, blushing quite obviously as Miroku began to rub her feet. Kagome smiled warmly watching them, while Inuyasha simply stared incredulously. "Miroku, what the hell are you-"  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome growled, grabbing his sleeve and yanking him aside, "Would you come with me?!" The girl grabbed her pack and the two disappeared into the woods. Miroku and Sango watched as Kagome reappeared for a short moment, grabbed the kits and Kohaku and drug them off as well, leaving the houshi and the taijiya alone.  
  
Sango started to call after them, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Despite what had happened nearly two months ago, the fact that it had not happened SINCE made her relationship with Miroku still awkward to say the least.   
  
And it wasn't because they hadn't WANTED to; Sango herself had felt a rising need in her body, the desire for his body like it had been that night. But with the continuing search for the Shikon no Tama, for Kohaku, their physical relationship had been placed temporarily on hold.  
  
And he had a very hentai grin as his hands slowly made their way up her calves, reaching thigh region. Sango placed one hand on his.  
  
"Miroku-sama, we can't. Not here."  
  
The houshi looked disappointed and then nodded, ceasing all activity on her feet. Sango felt a twinge of disappointment herself; damn that houshi! He would use any means to get what he wanted and if it didn't work he most certainly would give up. He was just that sort of person. It didn't matter that she had quite liked it.  
  
She huffed and turned, facing the opposite direction, and she heard a confused hum from the houshi. "Sango?"  
  
She turned, eyes ice cold. "Nani?"  
  
"Is it alright if I sit a little closer?"  
  
She blushed slightly and nodded, and Miroku scooted over, pulling the taijiya into his lap and wrapping his arms around her neck. And his hands stayed put.  
  
After a few wary moments she relaxed against him, leaning her head back on his shoulder, and Miroku did the same. For a long while they stayed like that, relishing the feel of the other, and Sango thought she heard Miroku sigh.  
  
*I've never heard him sigh like that... like he's truly... content.*  
  
"Mi.. Miroku-sama...?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
Sango fidgeted a bit, turning to curl against him. "Miroku-sama... are you happy?"  
  
He sounded surprised. "What?"  
  
"Well, I mean, it's been awhile since we agreed to marry, and I know that I made you wait to... to..... you know, until we were married, and considering how lecherous you are I'm surprised you agreed--" at that comment Miroku sweatdropped a little, "...but nonetheless, we're betrothed and still... I just mean.... are you sure you're happy... despite everything?"  
  
Sango waited. She waited, and waited. He didn't respond. Finally she looked up, only to have the houshi's wide smile greet her and a gentle kiss planted on her forehead. Miroku ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
"Sango, I am happiest when you are near me. True, being made to wait to show you my feelings physically is rather aggravating..." His sigh was exaggeratingly melancholy, but then he sobered and looked down at her seriously.   
  
"But I love you. And if you feel we should wait, then I will agree with you wholeheartedly and wait. To answer your question: yes, I am happy."  
  
At this, Sango's eyes misted over and she sniffled, looking down, and Miroku laughed gently, wrapping both arms around her shoulders again. Exactly three minutes passed by before the houshi looked down.  
  
"Sango-chan?" he said seriously.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Do you truly think that because I like a woman's assets a little more than the normal human male I wouldn't have agreed to wait to consummate our relationship?"  
  
Sango sweatdropped. "Don't ask me such a stupid question with such a serious face, baka!"  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha frowned, staring a rock. The rock was nothing much to behold, a small, normally shaped rock, a little bit of moss on one side, but it was his focal point for the moment, because it kept his mind from wandering away with his body.   
  
More so a certain anatomy that didn't require much stimulus to drive him absolutely insane for the rest of the night. And there was no use trying to rein it back in; said anatomy was LONG gone.   
  
Said anatomy's stimulus was undressing behind the hanyou, and it didn't help that Kagome insisted on making conversation with him.   
  
And the knowledge that Miroku and Sango were alone, together, made him inexpressibly jealous. Inuyasha knew that later the houshi would brag about having gotten a quickie or even just a free grope, and it was aggravating the young inuyoukai to insanity. Because he would have to wait. And wait.  
  
And wait some more. Kagome wasn't ready.  
  
Not to say that he was straining against the leash to have sex with her; that wasn't it in the least. But after loving her for so long, and wishing he could show her that love with his body... the thoughts that were once forbidden from his mind were bringing themselves to the front.  
  
And in the most inopportune of times!! He cursed at his body viciously as Kagome's underwear came sailing through the air and landed neatly in her rucksack. He forced himself not to look.  
  
There was a splash of water, and Kagome sighed. "Ohh wow~ the water feels gre~at!" Inuyasha clapped a hand to his forehead. *Wench if you had ANY idea what you're doing to me right now...*  
  
"Ne, Inuyasha, would you toss me the green bottle in my pack?"  
  
At her request, Inuyasha dragged the pack to him, and was immediately deterred by the pair of underwear. Hesitantly he picked them up with the tips of his claws and moved them aside and resumed the search. At the very bottom, amidst clean underwear, that thing she call a bra and a small box with the word "Tampax" on it he found a green bottle.  
  
While unable to read the words on it, he caught a whiff of honey and plumeria from the bottle. He blinked at it, recognizing it as the particular scent Kagome always wore. *Kagome in a bottle!* he thought in wonder, and then tossed it in the general direction of the pond.  
  
"OW!" Kagome cried out in pain, and her voice grew stern. "I-NU-ya-sha!" (Tessen:: you guys know how she does lol)  
  
"I didn't mean to," the inuhanyou protested, refusing to turn towards her, "I have lousy aim when I can't see, I admit it!!"  
  
"Then turn around, it's not like you haven't seen it before!!"  
  
"I've never seen anything!" he yelled, hunching his shoulders as a fierce blush had its way with his face.  
  
Kagome snickered a bit, enjoying far too much the torture she was inflicting on the poor hanyou and she knew it. She had wanted to bathe so much, but she obviously couldn't send the kids back to Sango and Miroku, so instead sent Kohaku out with the kits to catch some sort of dinner; rabbits, fowl, whatever they could manage.  
  
Of course, Inuyasha had originally been volunteered but he was adamant on staying with her in case something happened. So she spent the time driving him stark raving mad.  
  
Truthfully, she didn't know why. She understood his dilemma perfectly. She had known about it since the first moment he confessed his feelings to her. There was a point in every couple's relationship where it could die or be even more than it was. Kagome and Inuyasha had reached that part and flown right by it without giving it a second glance.  
  
It was hard. For that long period of time they had promised each other not to go any further until Inuyasha and Kikyou were through. But even then she had seen his sexual tension; the way he stared at her, the hungry, lusting look in his eyes at night. And all she could ever do was reciprocate the desire to. She could never tell him to just do it.  
  
Why hadn't she yet? It had been all of two days since the encounter with Kikyou. Why hadn't she pounced on him already?  
  
The answer was partly herself. She had more honor than that. But for the most part, it was Inuyasha. Kagome wasn't entirely sure he was ready. His heart had been wounded. Kikyou, his first love, had sworn to send him to Hell; no matter how well he hid his feeling, or how long he shrugged it off, Kagome knew it had hurt him.  
  
And perhaps that in itself was Kagome's reason for hesitation: the lingering feelings for Kikyou Inuyasha held meant that he would not be able to fully give himself to her. And she couldn't accept only part of him. Not when it came to this. So maybe in the end, it still wasn't really over.  
  
Kagome sighed and set both feet onto the pond floor, rising out of the waist-deep water, her arms covering her breasts despite facing the opposite direction; either way the hanyou wouldn't see didly-squat. "Inuyasha, toss me my towel, please."  
  
The dark blue beach towel came winging her way-- and landed right in the pond.  
  
"AH! Inuyasha!!" She slapped her hand to her forehead, growling lowly in her throat. "You are so TIRING! I told you before that is was alright to-"  
  
She yelped at the feel of his arms closing around her shoulders, his haori wrapping around her. She swallowed, flustered, and his voice was husky as he spoke. "Quit being so noisy, woman, you're hurting my ears."   
  
Inuyasha helped her from the water, turning around while she tied his haori closed around her body. The young miko looked up, her eyes falling on Inuyasha's form. His shoulders sagged, his face bland of emotion. With him that usually meant he was brooding.   
  
She crawled over to him on her knees and slipped both arms around his shoulders, laying her head against his back. The hanyou turned to her for a moment, his mouth turning up in a soft smile.   
  
She felt his clawed fingers close around hers affectionately and smiled herself, unable to stop herself from saying his name aloud. She liked the way it sounded. "Inuyasha..."  
  
There was nothing in her voice except love, nothing asked, nothing taken. Just complete contentment in being near him. He was quiet for a long time before he said, "I love you too, Kagome."   
  
Kagome smiled widely, leaning into him. *There are so many doubts... so many obstacles... But deep down I know that as long as I'm with you... as long as we're together, we'll be okay.*  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Nothing but random waffiness abounding in this chapter. Pooh, I didn't get anything accomplished! Oh well, I hope you guys liked it anyway! Hey! Like I promised there was Mir/San!!! I hope you enjoyed that too!   
  
Btw I did not mean to imply they've had sex. In fact I was trying to avoid that. So just before anyone asks, they've done SOME stuff (and remember this is the 16th century, SOME was a BIG deal) but they haven't actually consummated the relationship yet, kay?  
  
Anyway, stay tuned and please review~!! Okie, ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	31. The Method of Sealing

I dun post for days and I still get reviews, sweet! Thanks tons and tons and tons! It makes me so happy that everyone so supportive! Its Christmas Eve and as a a gift ^-^ You get two chapters! Please review, and have a happy safe holiday!  
  
And btw, this chapter abounds of a little thing called fanon thrown in, thanks in great part to that little OC I like to call Tama-chan! ::sigh:: I just warped the legend of Tessaiga just a tad, dun hurt me!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I claim him ^-^ (as do alot of otaku on the planet)  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Eight :: The Western Inuyoukai  
  
Chapter Thirty-One :: The Method of Sealing  
  
The bright torches hanging on the wall left glimmering lights against the shiny rock face, illuminating bright tapestries of the monarchs of past. All of them seemed to look the same or mostly alike: silvery-white hair, gold eyes, distinctive facial markings and their tails which they each wore in a different fashion.   
  
Akuken, the first.  
  
His son Seiya.  
  
The third lord, Mitsuoni.  
  
The only woman who had ascended, Chiken.  
  
Then, Inutaisho's father, Inushin.  
  
Tama noticed idly that her father's portrait had been removed. Family disgrace, perhaps?  
  
She knew them by heart. They were the pictures of the legends, the heroes of the inuyoukai family whom even Sesshoumaru had idolized. She and Inuyasha used to stand hand in hand by their older brother as he told them of great battles these leaders had fought and won.   
  
That her father, who had been the one to rule in the inuyoukai clan's prime, was considered a disgrace made her mad, even though she couldn't even remember him.  
  
As she walked through the corridors of the den, Tama couldn't help but notice the surprised and disgusted stares from the other family members. Some were open with their offense, spitting at her, cursing her. It was all they could do, she was sure, because if Kagetoki hadn't been there, there wouldn't have been a damn thing holding them back from jumping her all at once and ripping her to shreds. Tama kept her head low, walking behind Kagetoki with her shoulders hunched.  
  
She was hanyou. She was used to it.  
  
Kagetoki turned back to glance at his niece. She had grown up of course, and it was quite a surprise to see her. The last time he had seen her she was 2 years old, tearfully waving goodbye to her beloved Sesshoumaru as she, her twin and their mother were driven back to the human village a bit south of the den.  
  
She looked mostly like her mother; small, pretty and animated. But she looked very much like Kagetoki's brother, Inutaisho, at the same time. In the outside world, the silver hair and gold eyes she had inherited as an inuyoukai stood out as much as the dog ears perched at the top of her head did, but in this den, the bland consistency of silver hair was as natural as the blackened hair of the humans was on the outside.  
  
Kagetoki shut the door as they entered his office and Tama sat down on the floor, drawing her knees up and sighing, sounding somewhat aggravated. Kagetoki sat down at his desk, tapping his claws on the fine wood. After a moment he said, "Tama, it pains me to see you fear me like this. I am your uncle."  
  
"So what," she said, shrugging, still refusing to look into his eyes, "It's not like you tried to bond with me. You went out of your way to do the exact opposite."  
  
Irked, Kagetoki nodded. "I deserved that."  
  
He heard a slight growl come from underneath the cascade of silvery flowing hair. "You deserve worse. I'm just not in the mood," she said coldly, and Kagetoki nodded. "I suppose I do. My elder brother's only daughter, and I have made you fear me."  
  
Tama sighed. "Just tell me how to reseal my blood so I can go back. I hate being here; it brings back bad memories."  
  
"I wish it did not," he attempted again and Tama snapped up at him. "Well it does. Like the hallway with the tapestries? Inuyasha and I were beaten there once. Practically killed! Do you remember where you were? Do you?!" Her face twisted angrily.  
  
"You were standing there while our cousins, YOUR CHILDREN, beat the shit out of us! And you watched and did nothing to stop them. You laughed. Did you expect me to forget because I was only 2 years old?! Think again. I came here because I needed help. If you don't fucking know then tell me so I can get the hell out of here!"  
  
Kagetoki lowered his head shamefully. "I made a grave mistake in allowing such things to happen to you. I'm certain that my dear brother is cursing me from the other world now, but I am trying my best to make it up to you."  
  
"Lemme tell you something," Tama snarled, "You can NEVER make up for it. Not to me, not to Inuyasha. I hate you and never forget it~!" Kagetoki looked her in the eye, taking his punishment silently while Tama continued on. "The reason, and I mean the ONLY reason I am here is because you knew about what precautions my father took to protect my brother and I from this. I don't. I don't know who to go to."  
  
Kagetoki nodded solemnly. After absorbing Tama's words he stood and began pacing.   
  
"I don't know if you're aware of this, the night your mother gave birth to your twin and yourself, my brother came out of the room with a look of terror. He told me that somehow, he knew something terrible would happen to you and your brother. He said it would be his fault, and that he would have to take precautions against it."  
  
Kagetoki sighed. "Before you were born Tessaiga had been broken, and for some time it had stayed broken. My brother, for personal reasons, never wished to use it again. But with the arrival of his twin hanyou children, there was the need to protect you. My brother took the pieces of the sword to the swordsmith who made it and asked him to make Tessaiga stronger than it had been before it broke. Toutousai told him it would take the strength of two fangs to be able to protect you both, and my brother agreed. Three days later Tessaiga was returned, with the strength of two fangs, to protect both Inuyasha and yourself."  
  
"What's your point?" Tama demanded.  
  
Kagetoki looked at her. "Tessaiga was made as a sword to protect your mother from harm because your father loved her so much. But when you and Inuyasha were born, he had the sword remade as a seal to protect your and Inuyasha's youkai blood from ever awakening. Even if Inuyasha wields the sword, the seal of the sword has the strength of the second fang, to protect you as well. But of course, if you have transformed, that means the seal has been broken."  
  
"How could the seal be broken?" Tama asked, and Kagetoki narrowed his eyes. "A few months ago your elder brother Sesshoumaru returned to fulfill his duties as lord for a short term. While here, he told me that Tessaiga had broken, and that your twin brother Inuyasha had already experienced this loss of self."  
  
Tama stared, eyes wide. "In.. Inuyasha did?"  
  
Kagetoki looked surprised. "You didn't know this?"  
  
Tama shook her head vaguely, the image of her brother coming to mind. Trying to imagine him in the state of insane bloodlust that she had felt was damn near impossible. Inuyasha loved to fight, but... She looked at her uncle. "How?"  
  
Kagetoki sat down, shaking his head and clacking his nails against the polished wood desktop. "Sesshoumaru told me that a demon bit through the Tessaiga. Tessaiga was the seal upon Inuyasha's blood. When it broke it meant that he would die, and his will to live awakened his youkai blood. At that time his blood scent changed, so widely spread that even I had smelled it." Tama nodded but then Kagetoki lifted a finger, gesturing a pause.  
  
"But, then a few weeks after, his scent changed again. You see, Inuyasha has been relieved of this problem. He will never transform again, of that I am certain. Sesshoumaru also knows this."  
  
Tama nodded fiercely. "I want to do what my brother did then. I have to. I... I don't..." She weakened considerably, chewing her bottom lip. "I don't want to hurt my friends. They're the only family I have."  
  
Kagetoki reluctantly hesitated, thinking he should say something to comfort her, and then decided against it. She had already proved that she wouldn't accept any gestures of family kindness now. He sighed. "Unfortunately, my dear niece, you cannot do what your brother did."  
  
Tama snapped up angrily. "And just why the hell not?!"  
  
"The method Inuyasha used is one that could only have been used once. You see when Tessaiga was broken, both fangs were broken, so the second no longer protects you. Toutousai used a fang of Inuyasha's to repair the sword. But Inuyasha, in comparison to my brother, was much younger and weaker than Inutaisho, and the strength of his fang did not match his father's. It was only after defeating Ryuukotsusei, a demon even my brother had trouble merely sealing, that Inuyasha surpassed my brother and thus, the youkai blood in him is not too strong for his body, and he is no longer in danger of transforming."  
  
Tama deflated immediately. "Then I obviously cannot defeat this Ryuukotsusei, if Inuyasha has already killed him."  
  
"No, but there is another way." Tama perked up, and Kagetoki narrowed his eyes. "A little south of here is the territory of the western tribe of youkai wolves. My brother got into a mess with one of them when he was courting your mother. Haruroumaru was his name. My brother killed him years back, but he has a son. This family has an item that may be able to strengthen Tessaiga, so the sword's seal will protect you once more. There is only one catch."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
Kagetoki turned serious. "You must use the Tessaiga YOURSELF to do it. It was Inuyasha's will to cease his transformations that turned him towards Ryuukotsusei. Your will must be the same. If Inuyasha cuts through this item... then it won't save you."  
  
~*~  
  
The young woman giggled as she poured sake for the young man, and he grinned widely, baring one fang as he rubbed one hand solidly over her round bottom. Sipping his sake he crooned to the girl, and she laughed again.  
  
"O~h, Genrou-sama, you're kidding~!"  
  
"He must be, Koi, he told me I was his favorite," murmured another woman, and a third pouted. "Oh, Genrou-sama, what about last night?"  
  
"I love all three of you girls, don't be jealous now~" he teased, taking Koi by her shoulders and licking her from the base of her sternum, between her breasts, right up to her chin. Oharu pouted. "That was MY little trick, Genrou-sama~!"  
  
"You want me to do that to you too?"  
  
Suddenly the large bamboo rolls whipped aside and the black-haired young man looked up. Standing in the doorway was a tall young man with black spiked hair, his clothes covered by a crimson cloak. His red eyes surveyed the room quickly, taking in the image of the young wolf-demon, his body and face covered in scars, flanked by three young, scantily clad young women. All youkai. The wolf-demon stood out though: he had one blue eye and one green.  
  
Torou narrowed his eyes. "You're Genrou, the son of Haruroumaru?"  
  
"What of it?" the wolf demon demanded, and Torou smirked. "I hear you despise the western inuyoukai tribe, more specifically the late Inutaisho."  
  
Genrou slammed down the sake saucer, the fragile object shattering against the tatami with the force of his anger. The three girls squealed, skittering away.  
  
"Why'd the fuck did you have to bring up that bastard?! As much as I hate him, I can't do anything about it. The bastard's dead."  
  
Torou grinned. "Yeah, but he has children."  
  
Genrou quirked one eyebrow in interest, but then shrugged. "What the hell have you got against the taisho's brat kids anyway?"  
  
Torou narrowed his eyes. "Inutaisho's eldest son Sesshoumaru killed my mother. I want you to kill him for me."  
  
  
  
"Do it yourself," shrugged the wolf demon, and Torou brought out his closed fist from his cloak. Genrou eyed it suspiciously and was shocked when Torou opened it to reveal four Shikon shards.   
  
Genrou gawped. "Shi.. Shikon no kakera!! Four of them!!" He reached out to take them but Torou yanked back, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"There's these and 6 more if you kill him for me," was all Torou said.  
  
Genrou seemed to ponder it and then looked up. "I want those four, the six when I'm finished, and one more thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
Genrou grinned. "Just lemme kill Kouga."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Geesh this part is complicated. There's so many ties in this part, like this guy hates this guy and that guy hates this other guy; do this and this guy'll be pissed but this other guy will-- GYAAH~! I had to write a frickin' guide to make sure I get everything straight~!!! If you guys get confused by any of this I will be happy to point it all out as I go. ^-^  
  
Oh yeah and Kouga gets to show up now~! YAY!!!! I wanted to write Kouga in so bad~! He's so stupid! And you have to love his tenacity with Kagome, especially because Inu looks so cute when he's does the yakimochi thing~!  
  
Stay tuned and please review~!! Okie, ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	32. Hellfire

Part two of Christmassy gift! ^-^ Inuyasha confronts the symbol of his past, his uncle Kagetoki! ......Or something like that.. how badly cliche!! T.T;;;;;; Anyway! I hope you enjoy~  
  
PS, To resident Sesshie lovers: Find something beat on or maim painfully when you're finished with this chapter because you will be very, very... VERY, so-absolutely, unforgivably, indescribably (okie maybe Im overdoing it) NOT happy with me. In fact Im thinking somewhere along the lines of waking up Christmas morning with 10,000 venomous reviews/death threats in my mailbox. Just a warning!   
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't. That's all that needs to be said.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Two :: Hellfire  
  
"That's it..."  
  
Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Kohaku looked up over the huge den, the gates looming over them. The family crest, the red ruby, was centered on the gates, and the palace itself was set into the mountainface. It was beautiful, very old and classic, and archaic. Despite that, all Kagome could think about was how cruel the people just over this threshold had been to Tama and Inuyasha, and she decided outright that she disliked them immensely.  
  
Sango was also in awe at the beauty of the old place. "It really is amazing! You used to live here, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Well, yeah," he said, sounding as though he really didn't want to admit that. Tanpopo looked at the hanyou. "Hey, Inu no ahou, if your father was a taisho and your mother was a himesama, doesn't that make you a oujisama?"  
  
Inuyasha growled lowly. "Apparently not if you're only fucking half," he muttered under his breath, and Kagome gave his hand a squeeze. He looked at her sideways before taking a deep breath and marching forward as if nothing was wrong.  
  
At the gate, the two inuyoukai guards Kiyoshi and Takemura stood watch, their arms crossed over their chests defiantly. Inuyasha winced inwardly, the memories of his childhood obviously reminding him that these two could be nasty if angered.  
  
Mentally he kicked himself. *Get a grip, you're not two years old anymore. You're the same damn size as they are now.*  
  
"State your name and business," Kiyoshi began, but narrowed his eyes scrutinizingly when he saw Inuyasha. He snorted when he recognized him. "Figures. The bitch shows up, the other halfling's gonna come trailing in like a turd hanging off her butt."  
  
"You haven't changed a bit, you fucking brat; still sniveling after your sister." Takemura snarled and Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance. "Oh boy," the houshi whispered, "Doesn't look like these two think too highly of Inuyasha."  
  
"Miroku-sama, could you be any more obvious?"  
  
"If I tried."  
  
"Where the hell's my sister you bastards?" Inuyasha snarled, the apprehension he'd been feeling for the past day or two have stewed itself into pure anger. Of course there was also that other feeling, like he had to throw up, and that wasn't making him feel very friendly either.  
  
"That stupid wench's still in there," Takemura jeered, "But it's bad enough she's here. We're not letting you wander in and defile our home too, so why don't you just get the hell out of our sight, and maybe we won't think of having to beat the shit out of you again."  
  
"Yeah, remember what that felt like, pup?" Kiyoshi sneered, reaching out and swiping one of Inuyasha's sensitive ears and slicing the base with one claw. Kagome gasped his name softly. The hanyou winced, twisting carefully to release his ear without tearing the wound open more, and punching at Kiyoshi at the same time. He clipped the older demon's jaw.  
  
Kiyoshi looked stunned that Inuyasha had actually struck back, and Takemura was laughing out loud at the fact that Kiyoshi had gotten clipped by the hanyou when Inuyasha punched Takemura solidly in the nose. When the older demon pulled away, his nose was practically caved in, blood spewing all over the place. Inuyasha glared at them, "Bastards."  
  
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Kagome cried, reaching up to touch his wounded ear and the hanyou winced again. "It's fine." Kagome bit her lip, knowing it probably hurt more than he put on; the appendage in question was still folded back against Inuyasha's hair, as if shielding itself. His other ear drooped also, as if simply out of agony.  
  
Kiyoshi cursed. "You little brat!"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes turned to ice. "Do I LOOK like a little boy to you? I'm not gonna fucking stand there and let you beat on me like I used to, idiots. Where the hell is my sister?"  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
The group looked up from the beaten down guards to the owner of the new voice, and Inuyasha relaxed slightly. She wasn't hurt. "Tama!"  
  
"Inuyasha... what the hell are you doing here?" she trailed, her voice sounding more disappointed that he had come than surprised. Behind her they noticed the third inuyoukai who appeared, and Inuyasha bristled at the sight of his uncle. "Kagetoki, you bastard..."  
  
The lord said nothing to Inuyasha's greeting, he only looked over towards the group of friends the hanyou had brought. Four humans and two youkai children.  
  
"I see you inherited the love of humans that my elder brother had." Kagetoki said monotonously, "These are the 'precious friends' Tama did not wish to harm?"  
  
Tama's affirmative was lost over Inuyasha's venomous reply of "What the fuck do you care?" and Kagetoki lifted his eyes to meet his nephew's for the first time. He was slightly surprised by the image the hanyou made. Sesshoumaru was the eldest son, the only true youkai, and yet Inuyasha, a mere half-breed, looked more like their father than his elder brother did.  
  
With the exception of the lack of elfin ears and his tail, Inuyasha was a mirror image of his father. They had the same wide yellow eyes, the same coarse silver hair. Unlike Sesshoumaru and Kagetoki who seemed more refined, Inuyasha and Inutaisho had been rebels, mischievous and unpredictable. It was so nostalgic for the older youkai that he almost lost himself and embraced his nephew.   
  
He regained composure in record time and straightened his shoulders. "Inuyasha, I assume you have trekked from Musashi to come here, and seeing how quickly you arrived you must not have stopped often. Would you and your friends like to come in, I'm sure you all are tired. Being..." he paused, trying to think of the word that would make it sound less derogatory, "Mortal, as they are."  
  
"But, my lord!" Takemura gurgled through his bloody nose, and Kagetoki glared at him. He silenced instantly, and Kagetoki turned back to Inuyasha.  
  
The group was wary as Kagetoki had expected them to be, Inuyasha especially. The elder inuyoukai sighed. "I do not expect you to trust me, surely not after the way you grew up. It is my fault; as the heir to the family name and my brother's successor it was my duty to protect you and your sister and I did not. I do not intend to even try to make up for it, but I wish at least that you would let me apologize."  
  
Inuyasha's face contorted angrily, and he cursed, sounding like it was more directed at the very air than it was at Kagetoki. And then he turned to his uncle. "Are you fucking stupid? After everything, you still want to apologize?! Why couldn't you have done this when I was a child and couldn't take care of myself?!! Back when I needed someone to give a shit about me?!"   
  
He spun, taking Kagome's hand and stomping away. "You can burn in Hell for all I care! You and every other relative I have. The only family I care about is with me."  
  
Kagetoki narrowed his eyes, watching his nephew's disappearing form. "Inuyasha."  
  
The girl with him tugged on his hand, and Inuyasha stopped, but only after she did. She turned to face Kagetoki, her eyes sad and pitying, and she lowered her head. Inuyasha refused to turn, but Kagetoki was determined to get what he needed to say said, and so he spoke to Inuyasha's back. "I am sorry. I'm not apologizing for the sake of my brother, or for my love of my brother who against all odds loved your mother."  
  
The inuyoukai looked down, avoiding the eyes of the other humans with his nephew. "I was still very young when my brother married your mother, and it was shameful in my eyes for someone of such high standard to marry a human and allow that to... dirty our bloodline. But it was only after he was gone, after he had died for you and your mother, that I realized how stupid I was... I have tried my best to live the best kind of life my brother would have."  
  
Kagetoki lifted his head again and took a deep breath. "I wanted you to know that... I hold you in very high regards. And if you want them, your lands.. your inheritance... awaits you, Inuyasha-oujisama."  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched. The others also seemed to understand what this meant, and the female with the huge boomerang weapon gasped slightly.  
  
Inuyasha swallowed. "I grew up in the forests, Kagetoki; living in a palace wouldn't suit me. Sorry, but.. no thanks. Keep them for my brother."  
  
Kagetoki lowered his head. "I understand. Then, goodbye, Inuyasha."  
  
The hanyou nodded and gave his female's hand a tug, and she followed obediently, the other three humans following suit. Tama exchanged glances with her uncle before also following after them.  
  
Kagetoki watched them go with a bland expression.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
Rin looked up from picking flowers, roused from her playful singing by Jaken's grainy voice. The little underling was staring wide-eyed up at their lord, looking oddly at the taller inuyoukai.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked bored as usual, but there was a wariness to his boredom, as if he sensed something out of place. Calmly the lord walked towards the trees, passing Rin and standing in front of her protectively as he drew Toukijin and sliced the trees apart.  
  
The creature, irked at having been found, leapt from in front of the lord and flipped behind him, and Sesshoumaru turned his head. "Who are you," he demanded, and the wolf-demon grinned.  
  
"I'm Genrou. I don't know if you remember, being so high and mighty, but your father, Inutaisho, killed my father, Haruroumaru."  
  
Sesshoumaru almost, ALMOST face-vaulted into the dirt. Mentally he was trying to stifle a chuckle.  
  
Which obviously meant this idiot was hilarious, if the inuyoukai lord Sesshoumaru was trying not to laugh.  
  
"Killed is an understatement. My father slaughtered that fool of a father you had. What does that have to do with me? You wish to battle me for revenge?" Sesshoumaru asked, and Genrou narrowed his eyes, his hand leveling on the hilt of the katana at his hip. "That and I've been hired by Torou-sama to slay you in revenge for his mother's death."  
  
At this Sesshoumaru raised one eyebrow. He stood straight, once again stepping forward in front of Rin, who was just watching calmly. "How foolish is this man for whom you work? He doesn't take his own revenge?"  
  
Genrou shrugged. "I don't care, if it makes him happy, makes me happy. I just wanna see your head sitting on a stake outside my home, for the death of my father!" He unsheathed the sword with a metallic *scwhang!* and crouched low into a stance.  
  
Sesshoumaru turned to Genrou completely, facing the younger man. "Jaken," he said, "Take Rin and get back."  
  
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  
As the little peon tugged at Rin, taking to girl to safety, Genrou laughed aloud. "Oh, I'm getting the unimpeded Sesshoumaru? All your strength of will? So much that you tell your daughter to step back?"   
  
Sesshoumaru smirked. "It will not take even 10% of my strength to defeat a worm like you. Simply that I prefer not stepping on Rin in the process."  
  
Genrou growled low, his face crinkling in anger. "I hate you! I hate you and that face that so resembles your fucking father! That face and that smirk!! I'll kill you with my father's sword~!" He took to the air, his sword ready, "DIE SESSHOUMARU~!"  
  
Swiftly and calmly Sesshoumaru stepped aside, leaving Genrou to cut into the dirt with the sword kenatsu. A spray of rocks and gravel flew up into the air, and the wolf-demon spun on him, swiping at him. Sesshoumaru smoothly tipped his head, and then spun, sweeping Toukijin underneath Genrou's leg.  
  
"Is that the best your father's sword can do?!"  
  
"Shut up, dog! You'll see what this Chishibukiga my father left me can do!!" Nimbly dodging Sesshoumaru's demon sword, the brown-clad demon kicked out, catching the inuyoukai lord on the shoulder. Sesshoumaru flew back, skidding across the ground. He lifted his face, not hurt, but rather irritated.  
  
*This fool has Shikon shards,* he noticed, *He seems one of those who does not wish to take revenge with his own strength, simply seeing me dead would give him pleasure. No one would miss him if I sent such a fool to the other world.*  
  
Suddenly Sesshoumaru noticed an ethereal light glowing around Genrou. The light began to take shape, forming a person. Instantly Sesshoumaru recognized the person he saw.  
  
An older man, with long straight black hair. A wolf-demon as well, and his right eye was green instead of the usual youkai blue.  
  
"Haruroumaru..." Sesshoumaru realized, and Genrou lifted one hand in front of him, the ghostly apparition behind him doing the same. In that hand, a small ball, about the size of his fist, materialized, glowing a bright red-orange. Genrou laughed maniacally.  
  
"You're about to see it, Sesshoumaru! The power of the underworld, the darkness that every ghost condemned to Hell gains...!! THIS was my father's last gift to me, the item that I inherited, and that my son shall inherit!" With the Chishibukiga, Genrou made a downward slash through the ball, and it glowed even brighter when he did so. "HELLFIRE!"  
  
The ball exploded outward, expanding to double its original size, and a blast of flames shot from the wolf-demon's hand, so quickly that even Sesshoumaru had to gasp.  
  
Rin and Jaken cried out his name in shock when Sesshoumaru was engulfed in the flames. Jaken, to his credit, clutched onto Rin when the little girl tried to run towards their lord. Abruptly, the fire was sucked back into the ball, and the glow died down.   
  
It was a few moments until Rin could see the evil wolf-demon through the smoke, and she still couldn't see Sesshoumaru. Her eyes locked on the tall brown-clad monster as he sheathed his sword, and the ball disappeared.   
  
Genrou took a few steps forward, nudging Sesshoumaru's body with his toe. The inuyoukai didn't move, his eyes closed, charred and bloody wounds staining his elegant robes. Genrou snorted.  
  
"Dropped dead, huh?"  
  
Rin screamed and ran to him, curling into Sesshoumaru's tail, gently shaking the youkai's shoulder, burying her tear-stained face into the bloody fur. Jaken seemed in a blunt shock, as if unable to grasp the image of Sesshoumaru dead on the ground.   
  
Genrou smirked. "Good night, sweet prince."  
  
~*~  
  
The white youkai walked forward quietly, her coal-black eyes centered on nothing as she mutely headed further into the cave. In her arms was a small mirror, a single large crack splitting the glassy face of the item. Over her shoulders she carried a pack; a new dress wrapped carefully inside.  
  
As she reached the back of the cave, the kaleidoscoped image of the mirror created a black-haired woman. Her hair was long and loose about her shoulders, her wounded body nude as she hung against the wall in suspended animation. At her feet was a torn and battered fan.  
  
A large nasty scar traced its way from her shoulder, between her breasts, down her stomach and over one thigh. The white youkai walked forward and gently touched the taller woman's chest, over the scar.  
  
In her normal monotone, the white youkai said softly, "You've slept long enough. It is time to wake up."  
  
Red eyes snapped open.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ::hides from Aile Anna:: Hey, uhm, Anna?? That thing with Sesshie?? ::ducks flying sink:: Gyaa! I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!!   
  
Gomen ne minna (especially resident Sesshie lovers) it's just part of the setup!!! In the words of Timon, PLEEEEEEEASE don't eat me. I promise I'll make it better in another chapter!! Might not be the next one but hey.. ::all reviewers charge:: ~AAAAAAAAH~~~~~~!  
  
A-anyhoo... I have questions!! Can anybody guess who white youkai #1 and red-eyed woman #1 could be? Hm? Hm? MUA HA HA! I am bad. Im a bad bad girl.   
  
More questions! Guess what came out December 20th in Japan? (Inuyasha movie 3) Guess who didn't get to see it? (Me) Guess who made up her own version of Sesshie and Inu's father because she didnt get to see the movie? (Me again) So. I have my own little image of Inutaisho, due to the fact I wrote a story about him and Inu's mother awhile back and I needed a mental image. So I made it up. No killing of the author.  
  
Review please ^-^  
  
(extra note: Chishibukiga means blood-spraying fang)  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	33. Aniue

Hiya everyone!!!! Happy 2004!!!! I hope you had a great Christmas!! I did~ Didn't get any Inuyasha stuff but that's okie my parents hardly ever know what to get me when it comes to my anime/manga. So they got me alot of Buffy and Angel goodies V^-^V Yum, luff David Boreanaz!  
  
Thank you for the reviews~! As usual you guys are so sweet~~ Except for the "if you don't rescue Sesshie we will beat you to a death with a shovel" reviews. ^_~ A fake disclaimer is no one's friend, yes? lol I promise the Fluffy, Exalted One will soon see better days. Thanks for sticking with me!  
  
RATED R WARNING. In the latter part of this chapter Inuyasha's language is very, very, "VERY I cannot stress the vulgarity of his language" vulgar. You might want to skip it if words like that (the w-word for prostitute or the f-word to name two of many) offend you. Be forewarned, I TOLD YOU.  
  
Disclaimer: Blah.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Three :: Ani-ue  
  
"Aaaah, the food was good," Tanpopo and Shippou purred in satisfaction, the two kits stuffed from the feast the inn had prepared. It was a well furnished inn, high class due to Miroku's typical "evil jaki" story. The furniture was of the best quality, polished to a shine. The futons were soft and clean, the tatami brand-new. There was even incense lit, the scent appearing to be lilac.  
  
The kits curled up on a futon with Tama, the hanyou rubbing Tanpopo's hair as the young girl started to doze, relieved and excited to have returned to her surrogate mother's arms, and Shippou innocently clutching Tanpopo's shirt.   
  
Kagome smiled at the sight as she finished her dinner as well, making small chit chat with Miroku, Sango and Tama. Every so often she would steal a glance at her hanyou who, in true Inuyasha fashion, was having none of it.  
  
He was leaned against the wall, arms crossed, Tessaiga pulled up close against his chest. His eyes had narrowed down to pinpoints, and whenever the floorboards outside the door creaked his eyes would narrow further, almost disappearing completely.  
  
"Inuyasha, would you relax?" Miroku suggested, "We're safe."  
  
Inuyasha snorted in response, rolling his eyes "That's what you think. Why did we choose this inn, it's too close to the den. If Shiina or Sonoko or Manta wanted to attack they could make it here in a single bound."  
  
Tama tilted her head sympathetically. "Inuyasha, it'll be alright. Kagetoki wouldn't let them anymore."  
  
He made a disgusted glare. "What the fuck are you talking about, you're the one who picked this stupid spot. If I'd had my way we'd be miles from here."  
  
It was Tama's turn to look disgusted. "Everyone's already exhausted! If you'd had your way we'd be sleeping in the forest because any further and they'dve passed out." Inuyasha snorted again and looked out the window, retaking his vigil.   
  
Tama sighed. At least her plan was working. Sort of.   
  
Inuyasha wouldn't go to sleep.  
  
*Dammit... with him in such a state, trying to take Tessaiga would be especially difficult. I should have known keeping them this close would be stupid because Inuyasha would be on his guard, but the best path to the southern wolf tribe's home is right behind the den. I have to head south as quickly as possible after taking the sword.*   
  
She frowned, continuing to comb through Tanpopo's hair, sighing aggravatedly. *Keeping him here was the best option in that frame of thinking, but... in that one way, actually getting the sword is impossible unless I outright attack him...*  
  
She eyed the sword. The youtou made of her father's fang, created to protect her human mother. Broken in battle against some demon, and for some unknown reason, left unrepaired by her father. Rebuilt with the strength of two of her father's fangs at the time she and Inuyasha had been born.  
  
And now Inuyasha wielded it.  
  
And he was being a stubborn ass.  
  
It was well after midnight when the hanyou finally fell asleep; Tama had noticed his lids drooping long before, and when he finally succumbed to it, she waited a few minutes to make sure he was asleep.  
  
She got up quiet as a mouse, her bare feet padding over the tatami to her brother. Inuyasha stirred in his sleep, startling her, and she stopped her movement instantly. Inuyasha merely nestled further into the corner and further into his surprisingly deep sleep.   
  
Tama moved forward again, gently reaching out and pulling the blade from his arms. Again he stirred, his mouth turning down in a frown and his hold tightening around the sheathe. Tama stopped again, irked.   
  
When Inuyasha refused to release the blade, Tama tugged Tessaiga from the sheathe and left the wooden case in Inuyasha's arms, hugging the bare blade to herself. Then again by some form of miracle he settled, and Tama breathed a quiet sigh of relief.  
  
As she turned to leave, she reached out to pat Inuyasha's head. She stayed her hand just a moment's touch from her brother's ears, afraid to leave without saying goodbye but more afraid to wake him and not get the chance to leave anyway. Her hand dropped to her side defeatedly, and she sighed.  
  
"I love you, little brother. Goodbye..."  
  
As she slipped out of the inn, the morning sun began to rise.  
  
~*~  
  
The sunshine was glittering through the forest canopy as Tama headed south, her arms folded behind her head. She couldn't help but walk slow, even though she was practically a fugitive. She had just stolen the Tessaiga from Inuyasha, not to mention she was on a mission to destroy the southern wolf tribe's heirloom, whatever that was.  
  
She could have just put a sign around her neck that read, "Give me painful death" and she would be in the same situation either way.  
  
But it was just such a beautiful day, perfect and bright. The sun was warm on her face and there was a cool breeze blowing through the trees. She lifted her face to the sky and smiled, remembering the days when she and her twin brother would walk with their mother in her home palace's courtyard.  
  
Or even then memories from even farther back, when her elder brother used to take them on walks outside the den. Tama pouted slightly. She missed Sesshoumaru. Her ani-ue. When was the last time she had seen him...?  
  
She had been sixteen years old. It had been her ani-ue who found her, broken and half-dead after she fell in the river, separated from Inuyasha. He had been the one who helped nurse her back to health. They stayed together for a short time, coming across two illusionists, Terith and Terrace, who had once worked for their father.   
  
The twin sisters claimed Inutaisho had betrayed them and demanded revenge on his spawn, and the battle between Sesshoumaru and Tama and the sisters had begun. And once again Tama was lost, left for dead. After she had healed again, she returned to Musashi to find her twin--  
  
--and found he had forgotten her; left behind her memory for a mortal woman. The same mortal woman who later killed him.  
  
And from that day on, Tama threw away the ties to her past and lived as a human, with her husband Katsuyoumaru and her daughter Kiseki. She never saw either brother again, except on that one day every year when she returned to Musashi to check on the sleeping Inuyasha.  
  
Years passed. Katsuyoumaru grew old and passed on to the next world. Kiseki, her child, grew up, moved away. She also died, at the hands of bandits. And Tama remained the same.  
  
She found the kitsune cub Tsutsuji. She raised her as her own, and even Tsutsuji had left her to live her own life.  
  
And then her past returned to her. Inuyasha returned to her.  
  
When would her ani-ue return to her?  
  
Suddenly she frowned, knocked from her thoughts by the scent of blood in the air. Blood and salty scent, like tears. Human scent, inuyoukai scent. Tama lifted an eyebrow in wonder.  
  
One ear perked as she closed in on the scent; she could hear the obvious sounds of a child crying. She peered around a large oak tree, curious but not yet wanting to be found.  
  
On the ground, over what appeared to be a corpse, a small girl of about 7 or 8 was weeping mightily, her dark brown hair covering her face. Her shoulders shook as she wailed uncontrollably, burying her face in the furry tail over the shoulder of...  
  
"ANI-UE!"  
  
Her wish to go unnoticed now forgotten, Tama raced to them, startling the girl, hardly noticing the little green troll who had insisted on following her brother everywhere. What was his name? Jikken? Jiko? She couldn't remember.  
  
Sesshoumaru was unconscious, his lean face covered in wounds and burns. She noticed his left arm was missing, but it seemed to be an older wound. There were heavy patches of blood on his kimono and hakama, burned wisps of silk and cotton and some of his perfect fur and hair was singed.  
  
She gently shook his right shoulder. "Ani-ue! Ani-ue, please wake up! Are you alive?!"  
  
The toadie looked as surprised as the little girl. "Tama!! You're alive!!!" The hanyou looked irked. "Of course I'm alive!! How long has he been this way?! Has he moved at all?"  
  
The little girl shook her head, lifting a single finger, indicating one. "He moved once, and that was all... he just won't wake up..." Her little face crinkled and she whimpered, lowering herself again to his chest. "Sesshoumaru-sama...."  
  
Thump.  
  
Tama paused, swallowing thickly. Had she just heard a sound? It was faint, almost like a drum, or a heartbeat. It strengthened steadily, until she could hear it without straining, and then she suddenly felt the thrum of heavy youki, an invisible reverberation through the air, and the sheathed blade at her brother's hip started to glow.   
  
The little girl next to Tama shuffled, sniffling cautiously, and Jakuten, or whatever his name was, blinked. "Sesshoumaru-sama??"  
  
The lord then stirred, his face tightening in pain, and his nose twitched slightly as he carefully sniffed the air. He perked suddenly, as though catching a scent he had not expected, and the gold eyes slid open, unfocussed at first. They quickly shifted and his blank gaze turned on her. Tama felt water gathering in her eyes and she leaned over him. "Ani-ue?"  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprise. "Tama..."   
  
She smiled weakly, tears splashing over onto her cheeks and hands despite knowing how her ani-ue hated tears. "Ani-ue, you're alright...!" She huddled over his shoulder, burying her face into his tail. ".........Thank God."  
  
Carefully his right arm coiled around her in an awkward, unaccustomed embrace, and he sighed softly. Tama understood his meaning without having to hear it, and she smiled gently.  
  
"I missed you too, Ani-ue."  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome gripped tightly into Inuyasha's haori, nervously eyeing the hanyou's dark face. He was absolutely furious --for the second time in a span of three days-- and while she had always known him to cover his true feelings with anger, fury was slightly different. Inuyasha was *always* pissed off.  
  
Rarely was he truly furious.  
  
He was muttering obscenities under his breath, every so often barking out a particularly nasty one, ones that even though Miroku had done some bad things in his life and heard some bad things said, made him cringe inwardly. He and Sango were trailing right behind the leaping and bounding hanyou upon Kirara's back, and were constantly plugging the kits' ears for fear of Inuyasha's mouth defiling the youngsters.  
  
Kagome gently rubbed his shoulders, trying to calm him down, and though she knew she could "s" word him into serenity without any effort, he had a perfectly genuine reason to be mad, and he didn't deserve being sat for being mad when he had a right to be.  
  
"Inuyasha, I'm sure she had a good reason for taking it..." she said softly, and the hanyou cursed.  
  
"Fuck good reasons! That's my sword! Traitorous bitch, she's gone too damn far! Goddamn selfish, stupid, no-good, stingy whore..."  
  
"Inuyasha, she's your sister!" Kagome gasped, shocked at his angry words and he turned his head. "Forgive me if I don't like having my damn stuff stolen from me while I sleep!! Did you conveniently  
  
forget about what happens to me when I lose Tessaiga?! What if I... What if something happened and I can't protect you!!"  
  
Kagome looked down, knowing he had changed what he would say before it came out of his mouth. She felt his body tense underneath her and she looked at his face. Studying him now she could see the worry etched under his angry features.  
  
'What if I transform again,' is what he'd meant to say.  
  
The painful recollection of the last time he transformed was always in her thoughts, everytime she saw him she could see what he could do, what he had done. It was easier for her to overlook; she loved him and she knew the creature he became when his blood took control was not her Inuyasha. It didn't matter to her. But still, when she saw him brooding, it reminded her too much of that sad sunset when they sat together.  
  
She knew she disliked her memory of the event, but knew that for Inuyasha, she knew it must have ten million times worse. He would have that guilt rest on his chest until the day he died, and sometimes she wondered if the fact he couldn't remember what had happened that day was a blessing or a curse.  
  
She bent her neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder, tightening her hold around his ribs and relaxing the rest of her body, trusting him completely. Inuyasha swallowed, looking at her over his shoulder. "Kagome..."  
  
She was probably about to say something sweet and wonderful that would make him feel better but snapped her eyes open suddenly, and turned her head a little, facing away from him. She turned back, her eyes intense. "I feel two Shikon shards coming this way, very, very fast."  
  
"What?" he demanded, slowing to a stop and Kagome hopped down from his back. Miroku and Sango stopped quickly, and Sango reached up to grasp Hiraikotsu's tether instantly. "Something up?"  
  
"I recognize this youki," Miroku said, looking sideways at Inuyasha, whose hair was standing on end. There was a slight rumbling coming from deep in the hanyou's chest; a nasty warning growl, and Kagome was certain he would started snarling and barking any moment. It didn't help he was already mad to begin with. Kagome whimpered. "Inuyasha be nice to--"  
  
The tornado blur stopped in its tracks and the winds spiraled up and away, unveiling a brown-clad demon, his mouth set in a wolfish grin. "Yo! Kagome!" he called cheerily, waving, and Kagome laughed blatantly.  
  
"...Kouga-kun."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Well there you have it, I fixed Sesshie. ^-^ And I reunited Sesshie and Tama. (originally it was alot sooner, like chapter 17 but that went all awry so~) I so love those two ^-^V Think Rin and Sesshie' relationship when she's 17. Awwwwww, cute!  
  
Another note. Yay! I threw in Kouga! Yay! Note ended.  
  
Btw, jikken means "experiment" jiko means "accident" and jakuten means "weak point" lmao~! ;p Im so mean to the little toad~ Please review!!! Okie, ja~!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	34. No More Osuwari

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Duh.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Four :: No More Osuwari  
  
Kouga grinned, climbing up the small terrace to Kagome. Graciously he took her hand in both of his. "My sweet Kagome, it's been so long. How have you been? I hate having to leave you with inukkoro... He better not have let you get in any danger!"   
  
Kagome laughed nervously at the reference to being put in danger. Almost two months ago, when they had fought Naraku, Kouga had been wiped out from his battle with Kagura and did not witness Inuyasha's fight with Naraku nor Kagome's subsequent death. *It would do us all a favor if no one said anything to Kouga-kun and ended up giving him another lovely reason to fight Inuyasha...*  
  
"It's... been fine, Kouga-kun," she said, and he smiled. "That's good. I worry about you when we're apart."  
  
"That's sweet," she said, looking genuinely touched. Kouga started to look around then. "By the way, where is the old pack-mule anyway?"  
  
*Grunt* went the ground Kouga stood on, and everyone looked down to see Kouga standing on Inuyasha's back. Kouga backed away quickly to avoid being thrown as Inuyasha jumped up, growling. "You bastard~" he snarled, and Kagome set her hand on his arm. The hanyou was reined in, but only a little bit.  
  
"What the hell are you doing way out here anyway, yaseookami." Inuyasha snorted, "Still looking for Kagura?"  
  
Kouga leaned back against a nearby tree. "Yeah. The bitch disappeared. Seems like nobody's seen her. She must be laying low still so I don't find her." Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! Too fucking bad for you yaseookami, can't even sniff out one little woman."  
  
"What'd you say?!"  
  
"Kouga-kun, calm down! Inuyasha..." The hanyou winced, waiting for the face-to-dirt command... that didn't come.  
  
"...don't rile him up." The hanyou opened one eye, peering at the object of his affections. She didn't seem too aware of the agony she'd just spared him. Unnoticed by either Kagome or Inuyasha, Kouga frowned. He enjoyed seeing inukkoro get subdued as Kagome so often chose to do to him; it disappointed him not to hear the word today.  
  
Kagome turned back to Kouga. "Kouga-kun, have you seen anyone who looks a little like Inuyasha, maybe?"  
  
"Like who?" the wolf inquired.  
  
"A girl," Kagome continued, sounding hopeful, "She looks about my age. Long white hair, dog ears. She wears red like Inuyasha does. You haven't seen her, have you?"  
  
Kouga shook his head. "Nope, haven't. What's her name?"  
  
"Tama. She's Inuyasha's sister."  
  
Kouga smirked. "So she stinks the same." There was a lethal growl from Inuyasha's general direction. Kagome ignored it. "If you see her would you please let me know?"  
  
Kouga didn't even hesitate. "I will keep an eye out for her, because you asked me to, Kagome." The miko smiled. "Arigatou! I knew I could count on you Kouga-kun."  
  
His smile softened and he took both her hands again. "Kagome, you will always be able to count on me. I hate leaving you with that dog-crap all the time. But now that Naraku is dead... it won't be long until I can come back for you. As soon as I find and kill Kagura, I will come to you, my love."  
  
"Over my dead body!" Inuyasha roared, stepping between the two, and Kouga snorted. "That CAN be arranged, dog-crap."  
  
"YOU WANNA GO?!"  
  
"Let's do it you bastard!"  
  
Kagome squeezed between them, facing Inuyasha. "No! No, don't!" She turned between them, facing Kouga. "Please, Kouga-kun, not now."  
  
The pair eyed her pleading face and then looked up at each other, low growls still thrumming from both. "Whatever. I'll kill you later, yaseookami," Inuyasha snarled, and Kouga snorted. "In your dreams, inukkoro."  
  
The wolf gave a short wave as he turned. "Ja na." And then in a whirlwind of dust, he was gone. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome accusingly and she turned, looking reproachful. "You don't have time to be arguing with him when we should be looking for Tama-chan."  
  
"That's not it." he said, his tone seeming more or less not as angry as his face first seemed. Kagome blinked. "What?"  
  
Inuyasha wondered if perhaps she hadn't noticed. No, surely she had to have noticed? After all, after barking it at him constantly for months on end now, especially in Kouga's presence and for once she hadn't... and she didn't even notice?  
  
"You didn't sit me."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened a little. He'd only now noticed? She wasn't surprised, Inuyasha had been banged in the head too many times-- that was probably her fault too. She hadn't really sat him recently; it seemed to be obsolete now. She nodded with a teasing smile. "I think I've got you trained enough now."  
  
Irked, he frowned. "Now look here you...."  
  
Kagome shrugged, cutting him off. "When you were trying to kill me seven months ago, I needed it. I don't now. I trust you, Inuyasha."  
  
He snorted, folding his arms. "Keh! If you trust me so much why don't you just take the damned thing off!" Kagome blinked, irked by his deduction. "What?" she demanded and he leaned forward to glare at her. "Exactly what I said! If you REALLY trusted me you wouldn't need it anym--"  
  
Whatever other venom he'd been planning on spouting was silenced instantly as Kagome pressed a kiss onto his lips. The hanyou looked in surprise at her closed eyes, and behind him he heard the startled gasps of the others. Okay, at least he knew that he wasn't the only one who TOTALLY had not been ready for that. Not to say he didn't like it...   
  
Vaguely aware that he was in full view of the others, it was slightly embarrassing, but he found himself not really caring what the others thought of this public display of affection. His eyes slid closed and he slipped his arms around her thin waist and pulled her closer.   
  
However for Kagome, intimacy was not her intent. Rather it seemed she'd used the tactic as a silencing tool rather than an arousing one, because her hands moved up to his shoulders, and he felt something slip from around his neck, over the back of his head, and suddenly the soft lips disappeared.   
  
Disappointedly Inuyasha opened his eyes to see Kagome smiling gently at him, and she dangled his subduing nenju in front of him. In shock his hands flew to his throat.   
  
The rosary was off. It was actually off.   
  
Kagome handed the wooden beaded necklace to him. "It's yours, you can do whatever you want with it now." Still in a daze he stared at the violet paint and the white crescents. He looked at her disbelievingly, and Kagome smiled sweetly in response. Then she gently tapped his nose. "Don't get lost, koinu-chan, now that I've taken off your collar."  
  
She turned back to her bike, but before she got far Inuyasha caught her hand. He spun her around to face him and gave her a quick kiss. As he pulled away, he leaned his cheek against her hair, and breathed to her ear,   
  
"Thank you, koishii."  
  
~*~  
  
"Ani-ue are you warm enough?"  
  
Tama set another log on the fire and turned to look at her elder brother. Sesshoumaru was leaned up against a large tree, propped up near the fire. Against his tail Rin slept. Jaken also slept, sprawled on his back, Nintoujou over him.   
  
"I am fine, Tama," Sesshoumaru said, reaching over to Rin to stroke the sleeping girl's hair. Tama nodded, and looked curiously at the little girl who slept next to her ani-ue so carelessly. Then back at her elder brother. "Ani-ue? I've been meaning to ask, where did this girl come from?"  
  
Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, and the golden orbs fell on his Rin. He sighed. "She is some runt who cared for me when I was struck down by Inuyasha's Tessaiga. I repaid the favor by bringing her back to life when she was killed by wolves. She has followed me since."  
  
"It's not like you, Ani-ue, to allow a human to accompany you." Tama observed and Sesshoumaru looked at Rin, giving her hair another pat. "I have grown fond of her. She reminds me very much of you. She's very tenacious, as you were."  
  
Tama smiled. "I guess I was a handful as a child..."  
  
"Tama, you continue to be a handful even now." She blushed, smiling a bit, and Sesshoumaru chuckled. For awhile they sat in silence, enjoying the other's presence, when Sesshoumaru sat up slowly. "I should go."  
  
Tama turned to look at him as the demon lord staggered to his feet, lifting the sleeping Rin to his chest. Tama blinked. "So soon?"  
  
"Yes. You have stolen the Tessaiga. Inuyasha will be looking for you. As much as I would love to stay and fight him when he does arrive..." He looked at her. "You never could bear the sight of your two brothers fighting."  
  
Tama swallowed and nodded, lowering her head. Sesshoumaru patted her head, tousling the hair between her dog-ears, and then went to Jaken. He solidly kicked the little toadie, sending Jaken's chibi green body bouncing along. "Ita~!"   
  
The troll jumped up, waving Nintoujou around threateningly and not realizing who had so rudely disturbed him from sleep. "Who the... Who in their stupidity has done this?! What is the meaning of kicking this Jaken all over the place!?"   
  
Instantly Sesshoumaru planted his foot on Jaken's face. "Summon Ah-Un, Jaken, I wish to return home."  
  
"H-hai."  
  
Tama laughed slightly and as Sesshoumaru climbed onto his dragon he looked back at the faithful adoring little sister he had finally found once again. For a long time he was quiet, and Tama sighed. "I know how you are about saying goodbyes Ani-ue, so I--"  
  
"Do not vanish again," he interrupted, "I do not wish to lose you a third time."  
  
Tama stared at him blandly before nodding with a sad smile. "I love you too Ani-ue."  
  
Sesshoumaru gave her one final glance and with that, he pulled Ah-Un up into the sky and rode away.  
  
~*~  
  
*That bitch Kagura... where could she have snuck off to...*  
  
Kouga sniffed the air slightly. From the direction he was coming, he could smell Kagome and her pack-mule. Towards his right, the scent of a wolf-youkai not of his tribe, and towards the south the scent of Naraku and wind. Kagura's scent.  
  
He lowered himself into a short stance to prepare to break off into a run when he stopped himself. That wolf scent... Not his tribe, but definitely a familiar scent. The scent of a brother wolf whom he had once cherished. Kouga stood to full height just as he realized the wolf was coming to him.  
  
Slight pain --the non-physical kind-- gripped his heart when the second wolf came into view. Slight pain, and a flurry of nervousness. He did not allow his body language to portray the emotions though, however difficult. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes, his broad shoulders firm.  
  
The other wolf grinned when he saw Kouga, and immediately put one hand on his hip. "It's been a long time, Kouga."  
  
Kouga swallowed. "Genrou."  
  
Genrou and Kouga stared each other down for several minutes, before Genrou began to pace. "Where's you're little fan club, Hakkaku and Ginta? Last time we all saw each other, they were rather fond of you."   
  
Then his one green eye narrowed in contempt. "Rather, those fools worshipped the ground you crapped on."  
  
Kouga narrowed his eyes, his own irritation growing alongside Genrou's growing contempt. "They're here, they're just elsewhere right now," the wolf replied, ignoring the venomous comment.   
  
Genrou nodded. "I see." The wide mouth turned up in a malicious grin. "Then they won't be here to gather your ashes when I kill you!"  
  
With that he charged, whipping out the sword at his hip. Kouga gasped at his speed, not because the smaller wolf was faster than him, just faster than he'd been the last time Kouga had seen him. Kouga threw himself to the side, well out of the range of Genrou. Genrou slashed out horizontally.  
  
Kouga stepped back as Genrou stopped, standing full height and holding the blade of Chishibukiga up so Kouga could see. Kouga's face twisted in confusion. There was blood on Genrou's blade. As he tried to lift his left arm, the sudden pain made itself known in his elbow.   
  
He stared down at his wounded arm, at the blood. Genrou had hit him. Even when Kouga thought he had escaped the other wolf's range, he managed to hit him.  
  
Genrou lifted the blade to his lips and licked off some of the blood. "I finally live up to my name, right? The phantom wolf. I finally got faster than you, Kouga."  
  
At that, Kouga looked up, studying the other wolf. After a moment his bared his fangs, a growl rumbling in his chest. "You son of a..."  
  
"Yeah, I am," Genrou greeted the accusation warmly, slashing the sword through the air to flick off the remainder of Kouga's blood. He resheathed it and smirked. "It's not like you're not cheating either, Kouga. You have Shikon shards too. It took alot to get faster than you when we were younger, even more now that you had shards."  
  
"You bastard, you have ten!" Kouga barked, and Genrou looked down at himself. Two in each leg, two in each arm and two in his chest. Kouga could not see where they were. Genrou shrugged. "What's your point?" The grin faded and his face darkened.   
  
"Are you finally afraid to lose to me, Kouga?"  
  
Kouga seethed. *I need Kagome. She can show me where the shards are.* Hoping he knew Genrou well enough, Kouga gave him one last meaningful glance and then took off into the forest, back towards Kagome-tachi.   
  
*C'mon you bastard, chase me.*   
  
Luckily for Kouga, he knew his old companion very well. The wolf grinned. "So he's going to run, then? It's been awhile since I had a nice hunt. Well then Kouga, the game is on."  
  
Genrou sighed and began to walk after Kouga.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: ^-^ I hope you enjoyed!! I loved the part with the nenju in the beginning~~! ;p It took forever to write this chapter!!!! Oh well, I'm finished so, get ready for chapter 35!! Fight fight fight fight!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	35. Kidnapped

Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Five :: Kidnapped  
  
The floor was cold. It was nothing more than packed dirt and moss; maybe some straw. The air in the room was staunch and reeked of age. The wall upon which the youkai woman leaned was cold and damp.  
  
But the fire was warm. The meat which she ravenously devoured tasted good. The new clothes she wore were dry and warm. Her long black hair still hung in dark, matted clumps and the scars on her body frightened her. And she desperately wanted a bath.  
  
None of this mattered at the moment. All the youkai cared about was filling her belly. She was starved. She ate like there were other creatures waiting to steal her meal from her, and yet she savored each bite like it would be her last.  
  
Because of course, she didn't know if it would be.  
  
She did not trust the emotionless white creature who brought her these things. The child who was no more than 10 or 12 had taken good care of her, but something in her told her that just because they clothed you, gave you food, cared for you-- did not mean they were good people.  
  
"It's good that you are eating," said a soft voice, and the youkai woman snapped her head up, red eyes falling on the white creature before her.  
  
It was the same little girl who had woken her, brought her clothing and food. The pale child with white hair and stark-white clothes and a small scar underneath her right eye. She was barefoot as she had been in previous encounters. Her charcoal eyes were the only thing most striking about her, and even those were empty of emotions.  
  
The girl came with more food, a basket of fruit and vegetables this time. "Here," she offered, "You must eat so we can begin our journey."  
  
"Journey?" the youkai woman echoed and she shook her head. "I don't understand. Who are you? Do I know you?"  
  
If the girl was surprised, she did not express it with anything more than a twitch of her eyebrow. "Kagura, you do not remember me?"  
  
"Kagura, that's my name, huh?" She reached into the basket of the fruit the girl held and pulled out a Japanese pear, biting messily into it. "No I don't remember you," she told the little girl between bites, "Don't remember much of anything really."  
  
"I see," she replied, kneeling down. She folded her hands into her lap. "I am Kanna, your old... younger sister."  
  
Kagura missed the hesitation Kanna had, and continued munching. "Little sister. Hm. So what's our journey?"  
  
Kanna smiled, and Kagura frowned, finding it rather disturbing. "To resurrect our father."  
  
~*~  
  
Kouga sniffed the air and turned in the forest, pulling his injured arm up close to his body to keep it safe. He ran as fast as he could, trying not to exhaust himself. Genrou had far more Shikon shards than Kouga did, and therefore had the distinct advantage over the wounded wolf.  
  
Kouga could only hope was that Kagome had sensed the strength of so many shards and was steering Inuyasha in that direction to intercept. And if Kouga knew the inukkoro at all, he knew Inuyasha would've pounced on the idea of so many shards.  
  
He ran a little faster regardless.  
  
~*~  
  
Fortunately for Kouga, Kagome had and was in fact steering Inuyasha directly to the shards.  
  
Which, Inuyasha noticed, was west. Way off the trail of his sister and instead toward Kouga. It bugged him they had to run into yaseookami again within the hour, and even more that meeting up with the mongrel again meant he would put the moves on Kagome for the second time that day.  
  
Even more than that, Kagome was either oblivious or she didn't care. It drove him crackers and there she was, calm and collected.   
  
He hoped to God there was something to fight nearby; there was too much tension he had to fight off.  
  
A sharp tug on his right ear pulled him back to the present and he glared up at Shippou, who was glaring right back at him. "We said go right already!" the five year old kit told him, and Inuyasha grimaced. "I'm not a damn horse, brat, I don't turn in the particular direction you tug on!"  
  
"Then pay attention when I tell you where to turn," Kagome reprimanded, and Inuyasha furrowed his brow, turning right.  
  
"This jaki is horrendous." Miroku suddenly appeared, sitting behind Sango on Kirara's back. When Kagome had sensed the shards she, Inuyasha and the kits had left the houshi behind with Sango and Kohaku so the siblings could change into their taijiya gear.  
  
"I sense it," Kohaku agreed, "It's huge."  
  
"I wonder what it is," Sango said aloud, and Inuyasha shook his head. "We'll just have to see."  
  
At that moment Kouga came bursting out of the trees and brush, and Kagome gasped his name aloud. The wolf-youkai turned, relief flooding his features. Inuyasha skidded to a stop and let Kagome down, both kits still hanging to either shoulder.  
  
"Kouga-kun, you're hurt!" Kagome reached out gently to touch his wounded elbow, disliking the way it hung. It was broken and the muscles looked badly torn.   
  
"I'm alright," the wolf told her, biting back a wince, "I need your help--"  
  
The 'gumi were startled by a second wolf who appeared, grinning widely. "Kouga, you can't run forever!" The new demon cried out, swinging at Kouga's head.  
  
"--right now!" Kouga finished, dodging the punch. The wolf glared down Kouga and then went into a flurry of strikes. Kouga dodged skillfully, but the last punch caught him in the jaw and he slammed into the ground, leaving a small rut where his body landed and skidded.  
  
The wolf got up quickly and dove back into the fray, and the new wolf seemed to welcome Kouga's ferocity. "That's right! Waste all that energy! I'll take your two shards and become leader of both my father's clan and yours, Kouga!"  
  
Kagome pulled an arrow from her quiver, readying it. "That jerk's got ten shards already! He doesn't need any more!"   
  
"Alright," Inuyasha agreed, reaching out for Tessaiga. His hand closed on air and he grit his teeth, remembering that his sword was stolen. *Damn you Tama,* he threw out briefly, and cracked his knuckles instead. "Kagome where are his shards?"  
  
Kagome watched the new wolf move for a moment before nodded. "He has two in each arm, two in each leg and two in his chest~"   
  
Hearing this Genrou paused, eyeing Kagome. A strangely dressed girl, an archeress, obviously. With the ability to see the shards. Pretty good-looking too. *She might be useful!* "Kou~ga," Genrou cooed to his opponent, "You didn't tell me you had a woman to run to to save your ass."  
  
Kouga kicked upward, narrowly missing Genrou's face. "What are you talking about?!"  
  
Genrou narrowed his eyes and kneed Kouga in the gut. The other wolf doubled over and Genrou grabbed his ponytail, twisting him back. "You didn't really think that dragging me here, to this woman, would allow you to get my Shikon shards?!"  
  
Kouga frowned. Busted. He punched upward with his good arm but Genrou caught it. He squeezed on Kouga's closed fist. "Too slow, Kouga, far too slow."  
  
WHAM! Genrou was pounded in the cheek, and he flew, crashing into nearby trees. Kouga dropped to his knees, glaring up at Inuyasha. "Stay the hell out of this, inukkoro."  
  
Inuyasha looked down at the wolf, disgusted. "Shut the hell up, yaseookami, you can't even die right."  
  
"This is my fight!! Don't get involved!!" the wolf repeated. Inuyasha curled his upper lip, looking even more revolted. "I already am, furrball; because you dragged this idiot to Kagome!!"  
  
Genrou shot out of the trees, fists blazing, and Inuyasha shoved Kouga hard, getting the wounded man out of the way and taking Genrou head on. Kouga cursed as he landed on his bad arm. He forced himself up. "Inukkoro, you son of a bitch...!"  
  
Kagome knelt at his side, med kit open as she took his arm into her lap and began to clean it. "Kouga-kun, you're hurt. Let Inuyasha take care of this."  
  
Kouga glared at her and snapped harshly, "Genrou is my pack brother, he can't fucking kill him!"  
  
Kagome blinked. Kouga's face was twisted in anguish. The young miko wasn't sure what a pack brother was, but by the wolf's face it was a title worth holding onto. Vaguely she remembered Hakkaku mentioning something to her about being a pack sister.  
  
And she bit her lip, realizing what he meant. Genrou and Kouga were FRIENDS.  
  
She looked up. "Inuyasha!!! You can't kill him!!!"  
  
The hanyou was in the midst of dodging a flurry of strikes. Kagome couldn't really see what was happening, which was bad. Genrou was moving fast, faster than she'd ever seen anyone move, ever. Inuyasha was having to push his body harder than ever to try and keep up.  
  
The theory she'd made up in five seconds was proven correct when Genrou landed a punch to Inuyasha's jaw and the silver-haired boy shot backwards, tearing into several oak trees and finally collapsing against one in a heap. He caught up against it, his eyes shut tight against the pain.   
  
He managed to sit up slowly, wincing, and Kagome saw how heavily he was breathing. It was everything he could do to keep up and dodge, much less fight back. Not to mention he was without Tessaiga. She felt a pang of worry for him.  
  
Kagome finished Kouga's bandage and leapt up, running to Inuyasha. He looked up at her, confused by her earlier statement. "Why can't I kill him?"  
  
"He and Kouga are pack brothers; they're friends!!"  
  
"Hmph, friends." At that everyone looked up at Genrou. He was standing where he'd stopped after downing Inuyasha, arms folded. He frowned. "We used to be."  
  
Kouga looked down, shoulders hunching humbly. Kagome mentally reminded herself to gawp later. The yourouzoku leader was ashamed of himself. Visibly. She looked back at Genrou and he narrowed his unique eyes.  
  
"But that's past and I'm willing to let it go. All I want to do now," he charged suddenly, eyes blazing, "is kill you, Kouga!!"  
  
Kouga snorted as he stood, bracing his mangled limb. "Kill me, huh?" Fiercely he charged also. "I've beaten you before, I can do it again!!!"  
  
Miroku cursed as he watched the two wolves slam into each other like two forces of nature, the power between them colliding and crackling. "Kouga, don't!" the houshi yelled.  
  
Either they couldn't hear him or were ignoring him. Kouga continued to fight, using only his feet and his good arm. Genrou was fighting hard, his intent to kill very clear. He was faster and stronger, and Kouga was losing.  
  
Genrou lifted his leg up in a powerful kick that sent his former brother crashing into the brush and Kouga fell badly, arms and legs shaking as he struggled to rise before Genrou caught up to him. Kagome looked at Inuyasha, eyes wide with panic.   
  
"Inuyasha, help him!!"  
  
Inuyasha made a low noise that sounded like a curse and glared at her. "Take care of some of his shards at least," was the only thing he said before darting back into the fray. He blindsided Genrou, putting all of his power behind his right fist and slamming it into the wolf's eye.  
  
Genrou howled with pain, staggering back and clutching his face. Inuyasha turned to Kouga and grabbed his shoulders, dragging him out of the way. "Damn yaseookami, you worthless load of..."  
  
"Shut the hell up inukkoro..." Kouga muttered, spitting blood. "He's coming back..."  
  
Inuyasha looked up to see Kouga was right, Genrou was glaring angrily at them. "Kusoyaken... I'm going to rip you apart!!"  
  
A vein throbbed on Inuyasha's forehead. "Did you just call me a fucking stray mutt, ya asshole!?!" He stepped around Kouga and braced himself for Genrou's attack. But then, before Genrou could even run, everyone heard the sharp twang! of a bowstring, and Kagome's sacred arrow sliced across Genrou's forearms. Two shards shot out of his arms and disappeared somewhere into the grass.  
  
Genrou stopped short, yelping in pain. He glared in the miko's general direction as Kagome notched another arrow. Her face was resolute. "Don't move an inch. I can see every one of your shards and I'll get them out of you so quickly you won't even know to miss them."  
  
"Bitch," he snarled, and turned toward her-- just as Inuyasha charged. "Sankon Tessou!!" Genrou leapt back, growling at the hanyou before bringing himself forward again in a fierce attack.  
  
As the hanyou fought, Kagome looked at Miroku, never taking her aim off Genrou. "Miroku-sama, please go find the shards!"  
  
The houshi nodded and went into the mess, moving around the two fighters, and kneeling in the grass. His fingers ran across something sharp and he retrieved the shards, tucking them into his shirt before leaping backward with a yelp as Genrou brought Inuyasha down on the very spot where the houshi had been kneeling.  
  
The hanyou coughed as the air was crushed from his lungs, and Genrou hauled him up by his hair. "Stupid kusoyaken.. Do you think your little bitch taking two little shards outta my forearms is gonna make a difference??"  
  
This time, a pair of arrows launched into the air, one slamming into either of Genrou's calves. The wolf dropped to his knees with a howl of pain and dropped Inuyasha, who balanced himself easily and caught Genrou into the chest with his claws, digging out two more shards before backing away.  
  
Genrou grit his teeth, growling as he surveyed the group. Kouga was healing, but not quick enough to be of any use in this fight. One of the human females was backed away, but looked ready to step in. The hanyou held two of his shards and the houshi had two more.  
  
Then there was the other human, the bitch who had shot him. Genrou glared up at her. If he could just her out of the way, he'd be able to fight.  
  
He ripped the arrows from his legs and threw them aside angrily. The Shikon shards had not been removed, and they quickly healed his wounds. He stood and faced Inuyasha, noticed the shorter man's body tense as he prepared to intercept the next attack.  
  
It didn't come.  
  
Genrou grinned at him and then turned and dashed for Kagome in the blink of an eye, and Inuyasha cursed loudly. "Shit! No, Kagome~!!!"  
  
The young miko yelped when she saw Genrou running towards her, and she pulled back on the bowstring. He knocked the bow away before she had the opportunity to fire and grabbed her by her red neckerchief, hauling her like a sack of rice over his shoulder.  
  
He jumped up into the trees, forcing the hanyou and the miko's other friends to keep their distance on the ground beneath them. He turned around and looked underneath his feet where Inuyasha stared up helplessly at them. "You idiots! You have to protect your prize! Don't we now, Kouga!!!"  
  
Kouga glared up at him, forcing himself to his feet. "You son of a bitch, put Kagome down!!"  
  
Genrou looked at the altitude --a 30 foot tree-- and then took Kagome by the neck and hung her off. Inuyasha's stomach tightened, his eyes wide. Kagome's yelp of terror was drowned out by Genrou's loud baritone. "Gladly! The fall should break every bone in her body and immobilize her, if not kill her outright!"   
  
Genrou loosened his grip a bit and Kagome screamed, her feet kicking wildly as she desperately tried to find the ground underneath her and failed miserably. "INUYASHA~!!!"  
  
Inuyasha's heart lurched into his throat. "KAGOME!" He jumped straight up towards them and Genrou tossed Kagome to his other arm, safe over the branches, drawing Chishibukiga at the same time, and he slashed at Inuyasha as the hanyou came into view.  
  
Having to dodge as he came up made his landing on the branch wobbly at best, but he gained his footing quickly and cracked his knuckles resolutely. "You bastard, give her back."  
  
Genrou's eyes glittered dangerously. "You're in love with this little bitch." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
Inuyasha swallowed, eyes going from Kagome's horrified face to Genrou's amused one. Behind him noticed Sango rise on Kirara and he grit his teeth. He had to stay still. If he moved, Genrou might think he was going to attack and he could hurt Kagome… Inuyasha just had to wait until Sango made her move first.  
  
Genrou grinned. "I like you, Inuyasha, you've got spunk. But I'm afraid--" He spun quickly, blocking the thrown Hiraikotsu with the red-handled sword he held. The bone boomerang deflected with a wobbly bounce and headed groundward. Sango cursed, and Genrou grinned back at Inuyasha, "…that you won't be able to defeat me with such childish tactics."  
  
Infuriated, Inuyasha launched himself at Genrou, and in one swift motion Genrou sheathed his blade and dropped to the ground, dodging Inuyasha's claws easily. Inuyasha stumbled slightly and caught himself on the branch.  
  
Genrou hit the ground in a crouch and shifted Kagome to his shoulder again. On the ground Kouga and Miroku stood ready, but Genrou backhanded the monk, reaching into his shirt and retrieving his shards. He kicked the already beaten-up Kouga back to the ground before turning back to look into the trees where Inuyasha sat on his hands and knees.   
  
"Bye, Inuyasha!!!" He waved slightly and turned towards the forest. Inuyasha could only watch helplessly from the trees as Genrou escaped with Kagome over his shoulder.  
  
The miko reached out uselessly to the hanyou, calling his name, and he screamed her name, his voice breaking with anger and worry.  
  
They were gone in seconds.  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: I am SO sorry Im so late!!! I had a hell of a time with this fricking chapter, it just refused to write itself like the rest of the chapters did, it made ME do all the work (and it still didn't write out well). Stupid thing. Lol. Anyway, please review and lemme know whatcha think!! ^-^ Im so bad, I took Inu's chick from him~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	36. Broken Family

Author's Note:: There is mention of rape in this chapter. (yeah, I can do that, its rated R) If it bothers you, skip over it, please. I don't mean to offend anyone, and that's not my intent. Sorry, gotta CMA.  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Six :: Broken Family  
  
Kagura scrutinized carefully her reflection in the pool of clear water. She had bathed and donned her new dress earlier and now studied herself with great consideration, making sure she was presentable.  
  
The dress was a garment made for royalty, surely; a three layer dress of the finest silks available. The first one was a dark green-blue color which only served to make her fair complexion all the more noticeable. The second dress was of a magenta silk she'd never seen or felt before, the sleeves delicately embroidered with gold leaves and vines. And the top dress was a simple white one, with long, blocky blue-violet stripes breaking the white canvas.   
  
It fit her perfectly, hanging gracefully off her slim arms and shoulders and hugging her hips regally. The skin of her arms and face and throat were a pretty, fair color, clear and unblemished. You could hardly tell that underneath her dress she bore ugly scars of a battle she could not remember.  
  
Her long black hair hung past her shoulders, smooth and shiny now that it had been cleaned and brushed. But she hated the length; it bothered her neck and made her head feel heavy.  
  
Somehow she hated feeling restricted. She wanted to be free. She enjoyed the freedom to choose what she wanted, be who she was.  
  
She sneered grumpily at her reflection, trying another hairstyle and finding it just as long and ugly and confining at the last. She tore the pins out of her hair angrily and threw them into the lake.  
  
"Having trouble?" asked a monotone voice and Kagura turned to her "younger sister." Kanna looked bland and expressionless as always. "I hate my hair," Kagura complained, lifting up a shock of the long black strands for show. "It's ugly."  
  
Kanna walked towards her and set down her mirror before standing behind her sister quietly. Kagura sat silently and watched her reflection as Kanna pulled the long, thick mess into a knot on the top of her head and tied it off, a regal, beautiful fringe of it bobbing at the back.  
  
"Is this better?"  
  
Kagura was silent for a moment before pulling down the knot and shaking her hair out. "No. I don't like that style."  
  
"You used to wear it all the time."  
  
"Well I don't like it now!!" she yelled, and for a moment Kanna actually looked startled. Kagura's shoulders dropped in defeat. "I'm sorry, Kanna. I forget myself." She looked down at her reflection.   
  
Her pointed ears, the blood red eyes tinged with dusky red shadows over her eyelids. The paleness of her skin wasn't human. But she couldn't remember who she was, if she'd been like this at birth, or if someone had changed her into this.   
  
She reached out as if to try and recapture her past through her reflection. "I've forgotten everything now… who I am… what I am… I don't know what I used to like or not like... Who I hated... or who I used to love…" She touched the water gently, symbolically breaking the image.  
  
She sagged, eyes downcast. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a dagger at her side, and she frowned at it as an idea sparked in her mind. She took it up quickly, and taking one hunk of hair into her hand, she put the blade to it and tore at it.  
  
Kanna watched, motionless, expressionless, as Kagura cut her hair messily. Long, thick portions of it gathered at her back, piling up on her feet, but Kagura did not stop until all her hair was cut.  
  
She dropped the blade and leaned over the water. Her hair was a little past her ears, and because it had been so wavy, now stuck out in curled wisps at her earlobes and around the nape of her neck. It was longer in some places than others, very uneven and not at all beautiful. If anything it was unkempt and wild.  
  
She smiled at her reflection, satisfied with it, and then turned to the white little girl, features hopeful. "Kanna… even if I'm not who I used to be, you'll still stay by me, won't you?"  
  
Kanna's brow furrowed as she nodded. Kagura happily settled herself back to combing out her hair and cleaning up the mess she'd made. Kanna wandered over to a log and sat quietly.  
  
Kagura had changed. She was no longer the bitter woman who longed to be free from their master, Naraku. The woman who had betrayed him and been struck down by Kouga, the wolf-demon. Kanna had thought Kagura was dead after Naraku had delivered the final blow to her those few months ago.  
  
But she had found her body trapped underneath the rubble of their former castle, broken and bleeding. She had hidden in a cave far away from it, so as to hide from Kouga and Inuyasha's group. Slowly she nursed her younger sister back to health. And Kagura had awoken with no memory of their life together. Their life as minions of Naraku.   
  
Slightly confused, the white youkai wondered if this is the sort of person Kagura was meant to have been. A wild, hopeful, almost cheerful young woman. The polar opposite of bitter, sadistic and cynical. Kagura was none of those things anymore.  
  
And for a moment, and only a moment, Kanna felt the most minute flicker of guilt at tricking her younger sister into reviving the one person she hated most.  
  
~*~  
  
"Let me go!!"  
  
Kagome wriggled, trying to get a good look at her surroundings while at the same time violently kicking her legs and pounding on his back in an attempt to get the youkai-wolf to drop her. It was difficult; he was holding her firmly by her knees and she was couldn't exactly push herself up and off his shoulders.   
  
When volume didn't work, she tried for intensity. "You asshole, put me DOWN!!"  
  
Genrou slowed down suddenly and Kagome twisted, looked up and over his other shoulder. They were walking to a large home, not nearly as large as the palaces in the Sengoku Jidai, but a large house in terms of a villager's home.  
  
Genrou shoved open the door and trudged in, his swagger like that of someone bringing back a prize. Three youkai women, half-dressed, were in the home. One of them was cooking, a second was doing her hair and the last was in the corner, examining her nails.  
  
"Genrou-sama!" the cook cried and he grinned. "Hey girls."  
  
The nails-girl jumped up and walked around, examining Kagome's body. "Genrou-sama, is this a new girl?"  
  
"She's a little sloppy for your tastes, isn't she milord?" asked hair-girl, "I mean, she doesn't look too much older than my little sister." Abruptly Kagome felt a hand on her butt. One of the girls lightly squeezed her rear and Kagome fumed. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!!"  
  
"Got a mouth on her though," she said, hardly skipping a beat.  
  
"This one's not for play," Genrou told them, belatedly Kagome thought. "She's bait."  
  
There was a fourth voice then. "For Kouga?"  
  
They all looked up. The most beautiful of the women, this one fully dressed, stood in the doorway. One hand was on her stomach which, Kagome noticed, looked a little swollen underneath her kimono. Genrou smirked. "Yeah. Just like you were, Mika."  
  
Mika's eyes glittered dangerously and her young face twisted in disgust. "You fucking revolt me, Genrou."  
  
Genrou set Kagome down and thrust her towards Mika. The young miko stumbled and fell, glaring back at Genrou and the three women. Genrou's eyes narrowed at her. "You stay with Mika. When Kouga and that kusoyaken come for you, I'll tear them to bits and steal Kouga's shards."  
  
Kagome watched, seething as he walked away, the three woman under his arms, and when she turned back she was surprised to see Mika standing in front of her, hand outstretched. "Give me your hand," she said softly and Kagome accepted, pulling herself up.  
  
Mika turned and led her towards her room, which was actually rather large and well furnished for a prisoner. Kagome looked nervously at the young youkai woman.   
  
Mika held herself up proudly and regally, but there was a weary sadness in her eyes. She caught Kagome staring and she smiled. "It is odd that a prisoner keeps such beautiful accommodations, yes?"  
  
"A little..." Mika nodded at Kagome's admittance. "I have this beautiful room, these clean sheets... I am fed well and I am allowed to bathe regularly in warm water. All because that bastard Genrou is in love with me." She shook her head. "The sick asshole..."  
  
"Mika-san... how did you know I was bait for Kouga-kun...? You know him?"  
  
Mika sat on her bed, arranging her kimono around herself. "I do. He's my pack brother." Kagome nodded, remembering about that title. It was important.   
  
Which meant that Mika too was important to Kouga. Kagome frowned, confused. "Who is this Genrou guy?? Kouga-kun told me they were pack brothers... but Genrou attacked him...."  
  
Mika looked up at her, eyeing her carefully. She didn't seem put off, or even murderous. Just curious of the young human girl who knelt on the floor before her. "Who are you? A mere human wouldn't know of Kouga."  
  
"My name's Kagome. I'm... I guard the Shikon no Tama."  
  
Mika nodded, eyes widening then. "A miko. A very important one at that. I suppose then you were drawn to Genrou because of his shards?"  
  
"Yes, myself and my companions..." Kagome's heart skipped a beat at the thought of Inuyasha. She shook herself from it and looked at Mika. "Why are Genrou and Kouga-kun fighting?"  
  
Mika cast her eyes down and sighed heavily. "I'll tell you the story. It starts, honestly, almost 70 years ago..."  
  
~*~  
  
"You fucking wolf, this is all your fault, you know! If you hadn't brought that STUPID wolf to Kagome, she wouldn't be missing right now!!"  
  
Miroku sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if trying to ward off a headache. Sango walked at his side, looking almost as exasperated as him, except she was constantly turning to look behind her at Inuyasha and Kouga, who were arguing as usual.   
  
The injured wolf was riding on Kirara's back and Inuyasha walked at his side, yelling at him. Ahead of Miroku and Sango, the kits rode on Kohaku's shoulder, and the kids kept stopping also to watch the spectacle. Ginta and Hakakku, who had caught up with Kouga shortly after the battle, trailed behind Kirara, looking on helplessly as the two young youkai bickered.  
  
Kouga cursed. "At least you pointed that out, dog breath! I brought him to HER! You're a useless pack-mule, the only reason she keeps you around is so you can carry her like the mutt you are!"  
  
Miroku's eyes narrowed to little slits. "Those two have been at it for over an hour," he said aloud to the others, and Sango shook her head in exasperation. "They don't even realize we're going in circles."  
  
The two hadn't heard a single word. "I'm useless!?!" Inuyasha bristled, baring his teeth, "What about you, wimpy wolf? How many times have you come running to me when you can't fight your own battles?! Gokurakuchou, Juuroumaru, the Shichinintai, Kagura; who knows how many times with just that bitch alone!"  
  
Kouga's upper lip curled in revulsion. "As if!! I don't need you to fight my battles!! As is, you still need humans to help you, half-breed!! I don't see how my Kagome can stand being around such a pathetic worthless lowlife as long as she has!! Just your stink makes me want to heave, having to stay with you like she does would drive me insane!"  
  
"Uhm, guys?" Sango tried.  
  
"Just being near you *this* long does the same thing to me, bastard!"  
  
"Say that again, you half-bred trash!"  
  
"You two, stop it already," Miroku said, a little louder.  
  
"Shit for brains!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
"Moron!" bellowed Kouga.  
  
"Kouga..." Ginta attempted.   
  
"You wanna go?!"  
  
"MY PLEASURE!"  
  
Suddenly a little auburn fluff shoved her way between them. "CUT IT THE HELL OUT!!" Tanpopo trilled, looking back and forth between them. The two teenagers looked down at her in surprise.  
  
Tanpopo's face twisted in anguish, her little body quaking. Tears had gathered in the corners of her icy blue eyes. She glared furiously at Inuyasha. "Shut up! Just stop it!!! Kagome-san was kidnapped and Tama-san ran away and all you two can do is argue!!!"  
  
Inuyasha's shoulders slumped, his face shameful, but Kouga just looked put out. Tanpopo turned her glare on him now, sniffling. "We don't have time for this and if you guys are gonna waste time then GO AWAY! Leave this to people who CARE!!!"  
  
The wolf succumbed the baby's fox's outburst, glaring down at her. "Listen here runt, I care! Kagome is my woman, and I'm gonna save her!!"   
  
Inuyasha growled at that, a rumble quickly escalating into a snarl, but before he had the chance to retaliate, Miroku stepped forward. "Kouga, in order to find Kagome we must know more about Genrou. You said before you used to be friends."  
  
"Used to be is a good way to put it." the wolf replied.  
  
Sango narrowed her eyes as she too came up to them. "What kind of person is he? We should know."  
  
Kouga looked drone. "Ruthless. A liar and a cheat. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. That's why Mika-chan..."  
  
"Mika?" they all repeated and Kouga looked irked, shutting his mouth. Kohaku looked up at the wolf. "Who's Mika?"  
  
"C'mon, wimpy wolf, don't back out on us now. Let's hear it." Inuyasha ordered and Kouga glared at him. Then he turned, glancing at his two comrades, and the two, looking wearied, nodded vaguely. Kouga sighed.  
  
"Some 70 or something years ago the Great Lord, Inutaisho, ruled over most of this country. The western lands were his. The southernmost were ruled over by wolves as was the north-eastern, which is my father's territory." Kouga sat back on Kirara's back, crossing his arms.  
  
"The southern wolves were led by a guy named Haruroumaru. This Haruroumaru dipshit coveted Inutaisho's woman, some idiot human girl named Chiharu." At this Inuyasha growled lowly, his eyes centered on Kouga. "Careful, wolf, you're talking about my mother."  
  
Kouga rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Inutaisho killed Haruroumaru eventually and Haru sent his son Genrou to his northern cousins, which is how me and Genrou became friends: we grew up together. Mika was in my clan; she was the daughter of my father's #2..."  
  
"My father had died when I was very young," Mika continued her story. Kagome sat in front of her, eyes trained on the dark haired wolf-youkai, ears absorbing every detail of the story. Mika smirked.   
  
"Kouga's father was the leader of the pack and Kouga and Genrou were the two toughest out of the pups. As we all grew up, Genrou and Kouga became the only two members who were even close to becoming next leader. When it came time to pick one, the boss sent them on a mission, and whoever came out on top would be next boss. Only problem was, Genrou was determined to win, no matter what..."  
  
Kouga tested his wounded arm carefully and then looked back up at them, getting off Kirara. "Genrou cheated me out, used an herb to weaken my senses and my skills so he could beat me. My father recognized the scent on my breath and proclaimed Genrou a traitor before naming me boss. My first order of business once I was in that position was get rid of the son of a bitch."  
  
"So Genrou had a vendetta against you for throwing him out?" Sango asked and Kouga looked down. "I was angry with him for betraying me. I'm ashamed of it now, cause if it weren't for me, Mika..." He shook his head. "Anyway, I didn't just kick him out, I beat the shit out of him. Those scars on his body are from me. It takes alot to scar a youkai, and I employed every physical torture on him I could think of..."  
  
"And he's been after Kouga ever since, for revenge." Mika told Kagome, and the miko looked confused. "How do you fit into the picture?"  
  
Mika smirked sadly. "Genrou's been in love with me ever since the moment he met me. I've never liked him though, and he knew it. It's been a couple decades since he was exiled from the group. Five months ago, my intended and I were going to get married. But on the night of my wedding, Genrou kidnapped me... and called out Kouga."  
  
"Me, Hakakku and Ginta went to save her. I'd never seen a woman so bad off before. Genrou'd beat her, almost as bad as I'd beat him," Kouga said, his face twisting in anger as he recalled the event. "Anyway we were gonna fight, try and get her back... but Mika told us to leave."  
  
"Mika-san, why?!!" Kagome demanded, eyes wide in horror. "If your husband had come to get you, and you wanted to go back home so badly, why did you make them leave?!"  
  
Mika's shoulders were trembling. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "I didn't want them to know. I couldn't face him after that... I didn't want him to know..."  
  
Kagome swallowed nervously. "Know what?"  
  
Mika looked up. Streams of tears ran down her face. "Genrou didn't just beat me. He defiled me. I betrayed my husband, my mate, with that... creature! It would've broken his heart if he'd known... I couldn't let him... find out..."  
  
Kagome watched her, her heart going out to her. The miko lowered her voice. "Mika-san... you're pregnant, aren't you?" Hearing it said aloud, Mika could only nod. Kagome sighed and sat down on the bed. Mika's sobs grew louder as she lowered her face to Kagome's lap and wept. Kagome closed her eyes, stroking Mika's hair softly.  
  
She was in a bad situation. Didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know that. Genrou was using her as bait to lure Inuyasha and Kouga here, and Mika was in danger here too.   
  
She was afraid. When Kouga had kidnapped her, she had been scared, but with this monster, she was terrified. Genrou would kill her if he saw fit. He had violated Mika without a second thought. He could kill Inuyasha and Kouga and not even feel an ounce of remorse.  
  
Kagome sighed slightly when she thought of Inuyasha. She almost didn't want him to come for her. He was without Tessaiga, and unless she could find a way to purify and remove some of Genrou's shards, he was the weaker and slower one.  
  
She looked out the window of her borrowed bedroom. *Stay away, Inuyasha. Please, please don't come yet…*  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Okay, I will update again next week. Having fun stewing and hating me till then! v^^;;;;;;;; lol Sorry Tama fans, the dog-eared wenchlet will make an appearance soon~ Please review!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	37. Preparation

Hey minna~! Tessen here~ I have a quick little note before you head into chapter 37.  
  
Recently I noticed discrepancies in the timeline of my story and if nothing else, that is my biggest pet peeve. You see, I originally set the storyline of 2bwu in volume 30 of the manga, between Miroku's proposal to Sango and the release of Entei (Hakudoushi never really showed up in my world~) However I was making reference to events that happened after this, the main one being Kagome healing Kikyou in the pool. As much as I want to include that, it takes place in volume 31, long after where I said I'd begun at.  
  
So I took a week-long vacation and revised the entire first 36 chapters of 2bwu. So that you don't all have to go through and re-read, I'll break it down: the thing between Kikyou and Kagome at the pool never happened. I've guessed (key word GUESS) that approximately five months passed before the part I began to write at, and including the part I've written myself, it is currently early December in the story. Okie? All other changes are just spelling errors and such. The only main overhaul is in the first 6 or 7 chapters. ^-^  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-seven :: Preparation  
  
The sky was a soft grey, filtered with dark clouds following far into the distance. A light breeze blew over the waterfalls and the lake, causing slight ripples in the still surface. A single bird chirped overhead, and Tama looked up at it as she sipped the frigid water.  
  
A little bird, she wasn't sure if he was young or just small. Innocent and free. He had no idea the turmoil she was in. His entire world was that branch, that song. She smiled, remembering fondly the days when she had been that way.  
  
She stood, brushing her hands over her dress and took a deep breath. She was close; the stench of wolves grew with every step further into the south.  
  
As she walked, Tama caught wind of a familiar scent and knelt, scraping together some of the dirt. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Confusion swamped her as she recognized this smell. *Kagome-chan's scent is with this wolf's…*  
  
She dropped the pile of dirt and crawled on her hands and knees, sniffing the other areas surrounding the forest pathway. Neither Inuyasha's scent, nor any of the others', was present. Tama felt a stab of concern. Had something happened to Kagome??  
  
She jumped to her feet and rushed in the direction Kagome's scent led. *Kagome-chan…*  
  
A pinprick of cold alighted on her nose and Tama slowed to a stop, crossing her eyes and trying to look at the end of her nose. Feeling stupid she gave up and pulled it off.  
  
On one finger, a small white flake began to melt from the warmth of her body. Tama looked up into the clouded skies as the flurry of white continued to flutter down on the wind. She blinked at it.  
  
"Snow…?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagura looked over the large shrine, her eyes tracing over the outline of the wooden structure. The plants that lined the walkways, the trees and bushes that balanced out the large courtyard. The roof was packed with light snow, and the green grass was flecked with white. She snapped back to the present to notice Kanna already halfway up the stairs, and she followed her sister quickly.  
  
A very old woman met them at the top, smiling. She was an elegant old bag, Kagura thought, her hair pulled back neatly, her face wizened gracefully. She wore clean, pressed robes of black silk and a rosary of blood red.  
  
"If it isn't my master's incarnations, Kagura and Kanna."  
  
Kanna said nothing in response, as she was prone to do, but Kagura was suspicious of this person whom she'd never met. "Witch, who are you?"  
  
She frowned and looked at Kanna. "She does not remember our previous encounters?" At this, Kanna shook her head. The old woman sighed deeply. "Tis a shame. So much was laid upon your shoulders by our master, only for you to forget."  
  
"Look, you old bitch, I don't have a master," Kagura pointed out tartly, tapping the end of her fan against her shoulder. "Kanna says we're supposed to resurrect our father. You're supposed to know how to do that."  
  
The old woman nodded and turned into the shrine. "Come with me, dears. By the way, I am not witch, old bitch, babaa or anything of the sort. My name is Uramiko."  
  
Kagura shrugged silently, not caring what the hell the old woman was called. She followed Uramiko and Kanna into the shrine regardless. As she led them through the breezeways and the halls, Uramiko spoke of the method that would resurrect Kagura and Kanna's 'father.'  
  
"Your father was a great youkai, Kagura," she began, "He was doggedly pursued by youkai taijiya. You yourself came into contact with them often. Do you know of Inuyasha?"  
  
"Can't say that I do," Kagura droned, sounding bored. Uramiko nodded and turned back the way she was walking. "This Inuyasha is the man who killed your dear father. Your father was a clever man and had discarded his heart, protecting it elsewhere."   
  
Uramiko's eyes darkened. She looked angry. "But something went wrong and in a battle with this Inuyasha his heart was brought forward. Inuyasha struck it down and killed your father in a single blow after a lengthy battle."  
  
"Okay," Kagura looked up at Uramiko. "So how do we bring him back?"  
  
Uramiko led the two girls up a flight of stairs, taking each step solidly. Kagura narrowed her red eyes. *She's a steady old bag… If I ever need to fight her, she looks like she'd be a tough opponent… Better stay on her good side…*   
  
Uramiko, either uncaring or unaware of Kagura's thoughts, continued telling her story. "Inuyasha has four companions. These four people were with him when he murdered your father. Kagome, a young miko who protects the Shikon no Tama. Shippou, a fox-child. Miroku, a houshi who was once cursed by your father. And Sango, the only survivor of a youkai taijiya village."   
  
Uramiko stopped in front of a large wooden door, protected by a ribbon of red fabric tied between the door handles. She turned to face Kagura and Kanna. "To bring back your father Naraku, we require his bones, his soul, the sacrifices of those who were with him when he died, and the blood of he who killed him. Inuyasha of course killed him. Slashing his throat and reviving Naraku with his blood will be simple. And when Naraku wakes he will be hungry for blood. Inuyasha's four companions will be his first meal."  
  
"That's great, but I'm assuming you have his bones and his soul?" Kagura asked, looking skeptical. Uramiko turned without anything more than a twitch of her eyebrow, and untied the cord around the doors. She led them in and with a soft chant to the air, the candles burned brighter. The dim room brightened to a hazy orange.  
  
On a table, laid out reverently, were the bones of a human, presumably male. Kagura stared. She looked at Uramiko, eyes wide in horror, as she approached the almost-worshipful display. The old demon-miko smirked.  
  
"His soul has been contained in a safe place."   
  
Kagura hardly heard her as she circled the table. After a moment she hmphed, mostly to herself, and then crossed her arms. "So. What's the plan?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome peeked her head out slowly, glancing down the hallway. She checked the other side again and then glanced at Mika, darting out towards one of the doors. The wolf-youkai followed quietly, also looking around cautiously.  
  
Kagome, after calming the other young woman down, had begun asking questions like where Genrou's room was, where all the exits were, and how many people would see them at a particular exit.  
  
It was quickly obvious the miko's intentions were escape.  
  
Mika was terrified. She had attempted escape before. She was beaten severely for it. She had tried to persuade Kagome to wait for her comrades. "Kagome-san, we mustn't. If Genrou catches us…"  
  
The girl had only smiled at her. "I'm a miko," she replied, "I'll purify him."  
  
She had said it with so much confidence and trust that Mika's fears were assuaged. And thus they now snuck around Genrou's palace, heading for the back entrance to the courtyard. The walls were fairly high, but Mika could jump them and very easily take Kagome along. The only problem would be getting there.  
  
Between the western wing that was Mika's room and the southernmost courtyard were the rooms of the rest of the southern wolf tribe. Up to 125 wolves stood between them and freedom.  
  
But there was also the weapons room, Mika had explained and the plan, as laid out by Kagome, was this: get to the weapons room, restock on arrows, and charge through the wolves' den towards the courtyard. Jump the wall and head back into the north forest.  
  
The miko held her bow tight to her body, fingers cramping from the readiness of her arrow. Her eyes searched the corridors ahead of her as she clung like a shadow to the wall. Mika stood close behind her. The wolf-girl had changed out of her formal kimono and back into the feral light brown fur garb of her tribe, which was easier to run in. She also wore armor like Kouga's, and it hung on her small frame.  
  
One of the southern wolves walked past the door and both girls froze. Kagome's arm tensed. The lucky fool continued walking, never noticing them, and Kagome mentally let out a breath of relief.  
  
In this slow, careful manner the girls found their way out of the west wing and downwards to the lower levels of the castle. Mika, leading the way now, peeked into a room marked by black paper in the shoji.  
  
"It's empty," she reported and she and Kagome entered quietly. Once inside, Mika lit one of the candles and Kagome gasped when she was able to see.  
  
On one side of the room were numerous boxes and bags, some hanging open just enough so that you could see the glitter of gold and the shine of blues, reds and greens. Jewels of every cut and size sparkled from their boxes, and in several others there seems to be other materialistic things: valuable fabrics, paper, furs and statues and objects of both precious woods and stone.   
  
In the closer part of the room, where there was the easiest access, there were enough jugs and barrels to feed an army, and the liquid inside smelled much like alcohol. Fresh vegetables and sacks of rice also stood off the side where it was easily attainable on an everyday routine.  
  
Kagome stared. "They're bandits..?"  
  
Mika nodded. "Food, sake, horses… women-- anything they can sell, they take."  
  
Kagome drooped visibly at the allocation Mika had made, and glanced at the other side of the room, her mouth dropping open.  
  
For on the other side were shelves and shelves of swords, maces, battleaxes, spears and quarterstaffs of all sizes. There were several sturdy -looking bows and Kagome could count on all her fingers and toes the quivers of arrows.  
  
She glanced at her own quiver, which held at most 30 arrows. Fairly small. She walked over to the weapons cabinet and picked up a large one that held approximately 100 arrows and tried it on.   
  
It fit badly, hanging lower than she was used to, and it was rather heavy. But considering the enemy --125+ wolves-- she would need at least one-hundred arrows. Even if she hit every target she fired at, they were still outnumbered.  
  
*Inuyasha…* she thought longingly, *I'm scared…*  
  
~*~  
  
Genrou smirked, sipping the sake Oharu poured him as they walked down the hallways. The girl chattered on about her nails and her hair and other such nonsense, and Genrou listened to her babble as he headed towards the west wing.  
  
"Muffin," he called mockingly through the shoji, "Dinner's ready, I assume you want food for that growing bundle of love?"  
  
There was no reply. Unusual, he thought, Mika always has a retort for me.  
  
He swung open the door and his mouth dropped open at the sight of the empty room. Mika's lavendar kimono was on the floor. The girls, neither Mika nor that bratty little miko, were nowhere to be seen. He spun, throwing his sake cup to the ground. It shattered unceremoniously as he stormed down the hall, and Oharu let out a squeak of fright as he raged past her.  
  
"MIKA!!" he roared, "You bitch, you KNOW what happens when you try to escape!! Do you want me to KILL YOU THIS TIME?!"  
  
From the basement weapons room Mika and Kagome both froze. They had hardly understood the words, but just hearing the angry wolf-demon's roar was enough to frighten them. Mika looked panicked as she tightly gripped a large mace in her hands. "Kagome, he's coming! He knows!"  
  
She gasped as the young miko tossed her a katana, a little rusty from underuse. Kagome also strapped one to her waist. The huge quiver drug down one corner of her uniform, and she looked like nothing more than a child playing pretend with his father's weapons. But she looked determined.  
  
"We're ready. C'mon!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: I'm sorry it took so long, jeez, I just couldn't get it written. I'm losing inspiration~! Waaah! No!! I wanna finish this!! I need to buy myself another Inuyasha manga, it'll help v^-^ Please review!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	38. Battle in the Southern Den

YEAH! Just like I said I would, I ordered some new Inuyasha manga (volumes 29 and 25) and got my behind a-working on chapters. This one was actually finished before I got it (dunno where the inspiration came from. I think I pulled it out of the air~) but you guys get another chappie so I guess you're happy.  
  
…….Oh God, I'm speaking in rhymes!!!! ::bathes frantically and then shakes off like a dog::  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Eight :: Battle in the Southern Den  
  
The run up the stairs was hard. The katana at her hip sagged uncomfortably and clank-clank-clanked against the floor since she hadn't belted it properly (which was difficult enough as it was; she wasn't wearing a hakama.) The quiver was heavy and tugged hard against her breastbone.  
  
Kagome had wanted to give up her shoes since the heels made such an effective thumping noise against the hardwood floors that Genrou could find them that way easily.   
  
Mika led the way, darting down hallways and corridors and slipping into nooks and crannies and secret passageways here and there. She was hard to keep up with, Kagome noticed, much like Kouga. She wondered briefly if speed was simply a normal attribute to the wolf tribe--   
  
*Nah, scratch that,* she thought, *Ginta-kun and Hakkaku-kun couldn't keep up with Kouga or Mika if they combined both their strengths…* Mika abruptly stopped and Kagome leaned against the wall, heaving for air. Mika turned to look at her lagging companion. "Kagome, are you alright..?"  
  
"Fine," the miko wheezed, "Even after as long as I've been with Inuyasha, I'm not used to running with so much stuff on me!"  
  
Mika smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry."  
  
"S'nothing," the miko waved off. She looked up the flight of stairs that led to the other wolves' quarters. She could already hear laughing and drunken brawling, and nervously she thanked the gods for that. *If they're drunk they'll be easier to fight.*  
  
"Are you ready?" she asked softly and Mika nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Together they raced up the stairs, as quietly as they could. Kagome fired on the first wolf she saw, and nailed him in the back. As rapidly as she could she fired one after another, downing wolf after wolf.  
  
Some got up, and those, Mika took care of. She went into a quick rhythm of bashing them down with her mace and then slashing open their throats or stomachs with her katana. The wolves were taken by surprise, which had been the plan, and Mika moved swiftly through the lot of them, killing with an ease that only came with experience.  
  
It slightly sickened Kagome to see a woman hardly any older than her --physically anyway-- to be so good at killing. She didn't have time to worry about that now though, she had to fight.  
  
The wolves weren't backing down easily however; the only who had not been killed yet --over 100 of them-- took up weapons and charged the girls. Mika was a better hand to hand fighter than Kagome, and the young miko knew that as long as the wolf-girl's stamina kept up, they would be outta here in no time.  
  
Mika slammed the mace down hard onto one large wolf-demon's head and he roared with pain, blood spraying out in spurts. Mika drove the sword into his chest and then spun, taking another wolf in the throat with the hilt of the katana, and then slamming the heavy spiked club into the side of his head. There was a sickening crunching noise as his jaw broke, and Kagome winced.  
  
Mika glanced behind her to see how her young miko friend was doing, and gasped. Across the room, Kagome stood on a table, which had better access than the rest of the room, and she was firing from there. But behind her, a larger than usual wolf-demon was stomping her way, claws outstretched to snag the girl off the table.  
  
"KAGOME!" Mika cried out her name and the schoolgirl spun, letting out a squeak of fright before releasing an arrow into the wolf's skull. He dropped, and Kagome swallowed, gritting her teeth.  
  
She turned back towards the cavernous room. She could see Mika slicing and dicing her way through the horde, and Kagome took it upon herself to keep the evil youkai off the wolf-girl's back. She thanked God that her aim was on the mark today; she was running short on arrows already.  
  
Kagome threw her hand back to grab an arrow and her fingers closed on nothing. She froze. *Damn, I'm out~*  
  
There were still enough wolves to fill a classroom, and Kagome jumped off the table and grabbed and arrow that stuck out of an already-dead wolf's chest. She fired, knocking one wolf off his target but as she stepped over a second dead wolf to grab the arrow she'd lanced into his previously, someone yanked fiercely into her hair.  
  
Startled, she dropped her bow as she was sharply pulled backwards and thrown against the wall. The breath was knocked out of her and Kagome crumpled, hugging herself protectively. She was yanked up again, this time by her throat, and she could feel Genrou's sharp claws digging into the tender flesh of her neck.  
  
"MIKA!" he roared, and instantly the fighting stopped. Mika turned, her face and body splattered with the blood of those she had killed. When she saw Kagome she dropped her weapons, her face edging between worry for her companion and hatred for her captor.  
  
"Is this what you planned?! To escape out the back courtyard? You thought if you could get past my pack you could escape??" he demanded incredulously.  
  
Mika cast her eyes down, feeling bitterly depressed. Trapped like a dog; she would never escape. She would never be free again. Genrou cursed. "You're stupider than I thought!! You are MINE, Mika, you cannot ever--" His words cut off sharply, and he stopped moving. Oharu, still at his side, blinked. "Genrou-sama..?"  
  
A dribble of blood slowly trickled down his chin and he looked down at Kagome, a little shocked and seriously pissed off. The miko was biting her lip, trying to contain the absolute fury she felt. The katana she'd worn at her waist was now buried deep in Genrou's chest.  
  
"Women are not things you can own, you bastard," she croaked out, "Neither Mika-chan, or me, or any other woman you have is YOUR PROPERTY!" And with that she ripped the blade from his chest, and Genrou released her throat numbly.  
  
Kagome stumbled away, still holding her blade and coughing as she rubbed her throat. Mika came to her side, helping her to stand. Genrou cursed. "You stupid bitch, you're going to pay for that."  
  
"Not if I have anything to do with it."  
  
At the new voice everyone looked up at the huge doors, still half open. All Kagome could see at first was red; red and silver, and pointed dog-ears.  
  
*Inuyasha!*  
  
He had Tessaiga with him.  
  
Realizing this, Kagome looked closer. It was Tama. Not Inuyasha, but Tama. The hanyou girl was glaring at Genrou with such an expression that put Inuyasha to shame. She had the rusted, untransformed sword leveled in Genrou's direction, but she shifted her eyes towards Kagome.  
  
"Kagome-chan, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I could ask you the same," Kagome countered, and Tama frowned. "I have business to take of with this wolf." Amber eyes shifted back towards Genrou, and he grinned widely. "Me, huh? Seeing as how you've got that rusty little sword pointed at me, I'm willing to bet you don't wanna fuck me, right?"  
  
"Not hardly, you mangy wolf," she growled lightly, and then with a swing Tessaiga transformed into its full state. Again she leveled it at him. "I'm gonna kick the shit outta you."  
  
Genrou tugged on Oharu and thrust her towards the wolves waiting at the other end of the room. Then he drew his red-handled blade, the one Kagome remembered to have easily blocked Hiraikotsu.   
  
"Alright, bitch, if you're ready," Genrou invited, and Tama tightened her grip on Tessaiga's handle. "Let's go!"  
  
~*~  
  
All thought processes stopped in his head. He slowed from his galloping run to a slow walk, and then stopped completely, his eyes trained on the ground.  
  
*What the hell… is this feeling I have?*  
  
Miroku turned when he saw the red figure in the corner of his eye disappear, and he glanced back. Inuyasha had stopped. He turned back to the others. "Min'na, wait up." Kouga, in the lead, skidded to a stop. Without a second thought he let his mouth go. "What now!? We gotta hurry or else something's gonna happen to Kagome! You stupid mutt, pick up the pace!"   
  
Miroku and the other gumi flatly ignored him and the houshi wandered back towards the hanyou. "Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha's face had a pale, lost quality to it, and there were traces of fear in the golden depths of his eyes. He grit his teeth, growling slightly. Miroku reached out and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Inuyasha, what?"  
  
The hanyou looked up at him, not seeing him. All he could think, all he could feel, was the sick, twisting ache in the pit of his stomach. Trouble. Nearby.   
  
"Something's wrong," he finally said, "I don't know what it… what it is, but…" He looked up at Miroku. "Something's wrong."  
  
Miroku nodded, simply taking his word for it, and then stepped aside slightly as Inuyasha suddenly broke into a run again. He waved the others on, also running, and Sango looked down at the houshi as he ran at her side. "What was that about?"  
  
"I don't know. I'm not sure Inuyasha knows either. All he can tell is that something is terribly, terribly wrong."  
  
~*~  
  
The clang of sword against sword rung out over and over again as Tama and Genrou charged each other, swinging and swiping, each hoping to nick the other at least once. Genrou was fast of course, but so was Tama. Not nearly his speed, but somehow she was managing.  
  
But because of the shards, Genrou's endurance was far higher than Tama's, and even with the fang sword, she was running thin.  
  
Kagome, still watching from the sidelines with Mika, retrieved her bow from where she'd left it and ripped out 8 arrows from the wolf corpses around her. Mika glanced at her. "What are you gonna do?"  
  
"I think I can get his shards outta his arms and legs." Kagome pulled back on the bowstring and fired. Like the first time they had fought, in the forest, the arrow sliced over his forearms and the two shards slipped out. Genrou roared in aggravation and turned Kagome's way, growling.  
  
He hardly dodged Tama's next swing, and the hanyou glared at him. "I'm your opponent, you son of a bitch!!"  
  
Twang! Twang! Two more arrows were launched into the air; Genrou dodged. He failed to miss both, and the second lodged itself painfully in his thigh. He turned to Kagome, glowering. "You bitch, you've really asked for it."  
  
He lifted his hand, and in his palm a light orange globe appeared. Slowly the light grew and grew until it was an intensely bright red-orange. Mika stared in horror. "NO!!"  
  
"HELLFIRE!" With the Chishibukiga, Genrou sliced through the red orb and a blaze of flames shot towards Mika and Kagome. Tama froze in place, stunned. And then,  
  
"KAGOME-CHAN!!!!!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Sorry for the cliffie. If you guys are civil and don't send me any reviews demanding I update immediately, I will update sometime in the next millennia. If not…   
  
--you will never see your precious socks again!!! …Oh, wrong threat. ^^;;;; Anyway! lmao Please review, you guys know I love it!!!!  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	39. Luck

Ye, gods~ I've been spending some time on Gaia, and the people are VICIOUS on there! First you separate them into "the anime series Inuyasha lovers" and "the anime series Inuyasha haters." Then its whether or not the actual character Inuyasha is cooler than his brother or a not.   
  
Then it's the "Who should he end up with?" game, and these people are ruthless! Either they love Kikyou and will defend her to their deaths, or they love Kagome and they too will die for the cause. I truly think half of them are nuts, and the next world war will be on Gaia, over whether or not the soul Kagome has is her own or Kikyou's.  
  
I personally don't have the brain power to hold an argument with rational thoughts involved! When I get into fights, I have to explain in angry words what I mean to my friends and they translate for me… My thinking is Kagome makes Inuyasha happy-- therefore he should be with her. That's just that! You stay with the person who makes you happiest. And Inuyasha is not happy with the Chunk of Walking Clay that Eats Souls Formerly Known as Kikyou.   
  
Okay Im done. I have a headache. Here is the new chapter. Enjoy, it's a bit longer. There's also a big fat scene that may require Kleenex that I should warn you guys about.  
  
Disclaimer: INUYASHA AND KAGOME FOREVER. Huh? Oh, I mean, Inuyasha's not mine.  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Nine :: Revenge  
  
Chapter Thirty-Nine :: Luck  
  
Tama stared, her body rigid as she scanned the blackened and burned floorboards. Her eyes darted back and forth over the shoji paper which was still burning and the sooty, charred remains of some of the bodies Kagome and the wolf-girl has slain.  
  
But there were no bodies where Kagome and the girl had been. At all.  
  
Genrou grinned. "Reduced them to nothing but fucking ashes, huh?"  
  
"Hardly!"  
  
At that everyone glanced over by the window, where Mika was still hanging loosely to Kagome. The miko looked frightened, but triumphant. "Mika-san's fast, you dope!" Kagome cheered, feeling a bit elated. Escaping imminent death without a scratch had that effect, she noted.  
  
Genrou grit his teeth, furious that he had failed to kill the stupid wench and allowing his hatred to rise so that it would consume the growing shame he felt by being outclassed by a woman. From across the room, one of the wolves stepped forward.  
  
"Hey boss, you can't use th' Hellfire in here again, it's dangerous."  
  
"WHY NOT?" Genrou bellowed, "This is my place, I will use whatever I wish to use, WHENEVER and WHEREVER I choose!!"  
  
The wolf looked fearful, fidgeting anxiously. "Well, s'just that, like ya asked, we moved all the explosives up here from the basement so we'd be ready for the attack on the Kooritaka. If ya fire that again, you'll blow the whole fortress away."  
  
Genrou shut his mouth and closed his fist, Hellfire disappearing into thin air. He turned to Tama. "Let's get this over and done. I have better things to do than fight some lousy woman."  
  
Tama readied herself as well. "Too bad one of 'ems dying."  
  
He launched himself at her again and Tama blocked the strike with Tessaiga before swinging the great sword at Genrou's head. The wolf dropped down in a dodge and threw out his leg, catching Tama in the face. She flipped backwards, catching herself and pushing off to swing at him.  
  
Swing, miss; swing, parry. Tama thrust the sword at him and Genrou slammed Chishibukiga against it, the blade cutting into the ground. Genrou threw a punch at the hanyou girl's face, and Tama dropped to the side, allowing Genrou's fist to slide through air. Then she brought Tessaiga up, the blunt side slamming into his outstretched arm.  
  
There was a grinding crunch as his arm was put out of commission, and Genrou cursed loudly. Leaping back, Tama lifted the sword and swung again. She missed but struck the ground, and a flash of golden energy shot through the floorboards, slicing through Genrou's leg.  
  
He howled in agony, clutching the open wound. It was deep, deep enough to see the hard whiteness underneath the meat and blood. He went down to his knees.  
  
Tama stood over him, leveling Tessaiga at his throat. "Give it up. You're dying already, you waste of flesh, Kagome-chan sealed your fate a long time ago."  
  
"Heh, give up? To a woman?" He chuckled. "Not a chance. I may be dying, but…" He twisted his broken arm, palm up, yet again allowing Hellfire to emerge. Tama blanched, looking at the globe of fire and then back at the crazed wolf's eyes. "I'm taking you with me," he grinned.  
  
In an instant the entire room erupted into panic. The wolves who were left standing mobbed off for the door, jumped out the window-- whatever they could do to escape. Genrou growled an order, that they should stay with their leader, but they ignored him, taking off without him. In anger, Genrou slammed the blade down, first to his left, then to his right, and the kenatsu from Chishibukiga crumpled the doors and the half-open window.   
  
Beams of wood and blocks of stone dropped down, blocking the escapes and crushing some of the fleeing wolves underneath the weight. Tama cursed at him loudly. "You chickenshit son of a bitch! They're your own men!"   
  
"My own mutinying men!! If they're not going to die with me willingly they will die with me pathetically!!" he snarled, "I'm not going to Hell alone, you half-breed bitch, YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!"   
  
The wolf lifted his blade over the fiery ball, green and blue eyes blazing. Tama spun and ran to Mika and Kagome, ripping her kimono off as she did. Clad in nothing but her white yukata now she wrapped the hi-nezumi-cloak around the two girls' shoulders.   
  
Kagome didn't have even a second to protest as just then, Genrou jammed the sword through Hellfire and into his hand, aiming directly for the storage room of explosives. Kagome gasped aloud as Tama turned to look. She looked back, and Kagome saw a hint of fear in her amber eyes.  
  
"Sorry, gotta do this~" Her words cut off just as the white flash rushed over them, and Kagome screamed her name as the hanyou grabbed Tessaiga and ran back towards Genrou.  
  
~*~  
  
The resounding boom that shook the very forests slammed through the ground underneath the gumi's feet as they raced towards the southern wolves' den. Inuyasha gasped sharply, the anxious feeling in his gut tightening.   
  
He pushed himself even harder, racing pasts trees and bushes that looked like green and brown blurs, white where the sleet that had begun to fall earlier was now sticking to the ground. He knew the others were there with him, but they weren't in his thoughts. They didn't matter, all that mattered was getting to her.  
  
Something was wrong. He knew, he could tell something was wrong; he could feel it inside of him. She needed him, she was hurt and she was dying and it throbbed inside him. Inuyasha, run. Run, faster!  
  
Without even realizing it he called their names. "KAGOME!! TAMA!"  
  
The gumi broke through the forest line in seconds and he saw the fortress up ahead. Black smoke seeped from every window, and from the back of the huge house a column of toxic fumes rose into the sky. Part of the roof had been blown off.  
  
Kouga stopped, staring. "What the fuck happened?!" he demanded of no one in particular. Inuyasha ignored him and raced around to the back, leaping up into the blown-out room. "Kagome! Tama!!"  
  
The others followed, mere steps behind him, and upon entering the room, Sango gasped slightly. "Oh, gods…" Miroku's eyes narrowed. "What happened…?"  
  
The room was in pieces, the roof having collapsed and the walls blown outwards, as if the room had been sealed off and exploded from inside. The acrid stench of scorched flesh and burning hair emanated from the confines of the still-burning room, and Inuyasha had to hold back a gag.  
  
The dead bodies of wolves were littered all over the monstrous room, all of them charred to nothing. Near what had been the entrance was Genrou's body. Splinters and chunks of wood stabbed him in every part of his body, the Chishibukiga sticking through the hand at his side into the floor.   
  
Tessaiga was also nearby him, looking a little sooty if anything. There was a second body, charred fingers loosely clinging to Tessaiga's hilt. The hanyou ignored it for the moment and scanned the room for survivors.  
  
He didn't have to look far; in the middle of the room, kneeling over the bodies of Genrou and the other person, were the only two people left alive. Both women. Inuyasha's heart shot to his throat when he managed to make out the sooty, ash-covered form of a girl in a short skirt which might have been green at some point in time.  
  
He also did not fail to notice the muddy looking tracks of tears streaming down her face, or the kimono of red fabric draped around her shoulders.  
  
*Tama's… kimono…* he thought, feeling the knot tighten in his stomach. The first stab of real fear hit him. Tama was hurt.  
  
Kagome's cries were broken, desperate pleas, the kind of sounds that could only come from someone grieving. The body she knelt by, the one holding Tessaiga, was a body with silver hair. It didn't register in his mind. Even Kagome's cries of Tama's name, over and over, didn't make any sense.  
  
She couldn't be hurt that badly.  
  
His voice sounded weak and hoarse when he managed to speak. "Ka..gome..?" The young woman looked up, and instantly she began to cry even harder. "Inuyasha!! Inuyasha, I… She wasn't wearing her kimono! Even though it could have protected her, she didn't, she gave it to me, she just… and then she…"  
  
Kagome trailed off and Sango gasped softly, covering her mouth and turning to Miroku as she realized the gravity of the situation. Tanpopo made a soft whimpering sound and Inuyasha stumbled forward and looked down at the body.   
  
Her face looked no different than the first day she had come back to him, when she had found him again. Just paler, smudged with dirt and ash here and there. But the differences stopped there, for further down her body, the wounds grew worse.   
  
Her smooth arms were burned, blackened and bloodied, and blood drenched the once white under-kimono she wore. It too was black and frayed with burns, smudged with gray ash where it was still halfway white.  
  
Her hair was matted with blood and soot, some of the ends of her bangs curled from the flame. Her ears sagged limply.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't move. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like the smoke from the still burning wooden beams was smothering him. It didn't feel real. Tama couldn't be lying here, dead. She couldn't be, because she had escaped death before, just like him.   
  
They were hanyou. They had battled huge Oni together and lived to laugh about it. They had fought Shininikubuta and hardly broken a sweat. Tama had been swallowed by a river and survived. She had battled illusionists and come out without a scrape.  
  
She couldn't have been killed by just a damn explosion.  
  
He slipped to his knees by her, his face twisting angrily. "Hey, get up, you lazy bitch," he ordered. She didn't respond. At first, anyway. Dark eyelashes twitched and Tama's golden eyes slid open. Kagome gasped sharply, shock visible on her pale features.   
  
Even Inuyasha released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His voice didn't sound like his own as he grated out, "Tama??" His chest tightened uncomfortably when her eyes settled on him. "Inuyasha.."  
  
"Oh God," Kagome said brokenly, more tears blurring her eyes. Tama's eyes narrowed. "Don't cry…"  
  
For a moment Kagome thought the hanyou girl was talking to her-- until she looked at Inuyasha. A small pool of tears glittered in his eyes, and one tear had streaked down his cheek. He wiped at his face mindlessly, struggling to regain control over himself.   
  
"I'm not crying," he told her angrily, "Why the hell would a cry over a bitch like you…" Tama smirked at him, relaxing her body and allowing her head to fall to the side. It was hard, straining to hold up her head. Inuyasha's hand clenched around the bloodied fabric of her sleeve, and he bent forward, resting his forehead on his shoulder.   
  
In a voice so soft that even Tama had trouble hearing him, he said, "Tama… I thought you were dead." Tama reached up and patted his hands. "It's okay, Inuyasha… I'm not going anywhere…"  
  
Behind Inuyasha, Kouga was watching quietly, until his eyes fell on the girl beside Kagome. She was as beautiful as the last time he'd seen her, just a little banged up and smudged with ash. He stepped forward slightly. "Mika-chan…"  
  
She looked up, wide blue eyes falling on his face. "Kouga…" Instantly Mika looked down, away from him. "Kouga, please don't… You should leave…" Slightly hurt, the wolf stepped back. Kagome looked up, watching the encounter between them and wondering vaguely if Kouga was Mika's husband. But then why had he claimed to love her?  
  
But then he set his shoulders, eyes narrowed. "Mika, you don't love me anymore?" The wolf-girl looked up, eyes teary. "No, that's not it! I do love you Kouga! I always, always have…" She looked down. "What is Kagome-san to you?"  
  
At that Kouga stopped, eyes wide. He tried to swallow past the rapidly growing lump in his throat, and Mika looked up sorrowfully. "Genrou kidnapped her for bait for you, she must mean something…"  
  
Kouga's face fell. "I.. claimed her as my woman…" Mika's face crinkled. She lowered her head, sniffling. "I understand… Then, could you tell? You knew what Genrou did to me… Is that why you broke our bond?"  
  
"You're the one who broke it first!" Kouga declared, grabbing Mika by the arm and pulling her up to look at him. His voice cracked slightly as he said, "What's the point of being married to you, of agreeing to be your mate and protect you if you're not going to let me!? That's why I started looking for another woman, Mika; you left me!"  
  
"I didn't break it!! I didn't want you to know!!!!" she screamed at him, "I never, never betrayed you Kouga, I've loved you my whole life!!! But.. But I didn't want you know…"  
  
She collapsed against his chest and Kouga looked down at her helplessly. "Know what?"  
  
"That.. That I'm not pure anymore… That I'm dirty…" At this Kouga pulled her away, looking her in the eye. "What? Mika, there's… nothing that could ever do that to you. Ever."  
  
"I'm going have his child…" The wolf princess' voice quivered. Kouga stared, eyes wide. Slowly his eyes trailed down to Mika's stomach, which he only now noticed was slightly larger than normal.   
  
Kouga's mouth hung open slightly, his face twisting into an expression of rage and grief. Kagome looked away from him as he turned to Genrou's corpse.   
  
"You fucking son of a bitch!!!" the wolf leader yelled, punching hard into the chest of the dead wolf. "You goddamned, disgusting bastard…"  
  
"Kouga-kun," Kagome reached out, taking his shoulder. "Stop… Genrou's dead."  
  
"Son of a goddamn bitch… Fucking bastard, he did that to her!! He beat her and he.. Fuck!" Kouga closed his eyes, hanging his head. "I can't do a goddamned thing about it… I can't even take revenge for her!!! I can't just STOP!"  
  
Kagome lowered her head. "Kouga-kun do you still love Mika-san…?" At this, the wolf looked up. Kagome did not have any pain in her eyes, only a polite curiosity. Kouga calmed a bit, looking at the charred floorboards. "Yes."  
  
Hearing his soft confession, Mika began to cry harder, covering her face with her hands. Kouga stood up, slipping his arms around his bride. "Mika, I love you…"  
  
Kagome smiled faintly at this. Kouga looked a little ashamedly at her. "Kagome, I'm sorry… But, you know we can't be anything now…"  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're giving up on Kagome?! That's it, I don't get to kick your ass or ANYTHING?!"  
  
"Sorry to disappoint," Kouga said, still talking to Kagome and ignoring Inuyasha completely. Kagome laughed nervously. "I think I can get over it." She wiped her face, her gaze falling on Tama. "Tama-chan, your wounds are…" Tama shook her head. "I'll be okay… but I need to see Ani-ue…"  
  
"What the hell do we need to go see that bastard for?" Inuyasha demanded, and Tama closed her eyes. "Because he has Oyaji's Tenseiga. And unless we leave soon, by the time we get to him, I'll be dead."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Okie note about Mika. I know about the character in the anime called Ayame. However I've never seen an episode featuring her, so I have no idea how she acts, what she's like, any of that. And I had no wish to try to write her when I obviously no nothing of her. So I made Mika.   
  
Please review~  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	40. Back to the West

Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Ten :: Naraku's Soul  
  
Chapter Forty :: Back To the West  
  
The night came quickly. Early winter evenings, even in the southern part of Japan, were chilly and dry, and the dark came swiftly. Drab violet clouds obscured the stars and moon from view, and so it was darker than usual as the gumi camped for the night.   
  
Tama had been taken care of first, with the kits and Kohaku running the very important errands of searching out herbs and gathering firewood. Kagome worked up the burn remedies she'd been taught by Kaede-baachan, using a bit of the herbs Kitsuko had given them, with hopes that the demon-hybrids would help speed up Tama's recovery.   
  
It seemed like such a long time ago that they had been in the mountain in Kouzuke, trying to take care of a sick Inuyasha. It had only been two weeks, give or take a few days, since they had made the trek up there.   
  
It no longer startled Kagome that so much could happen in so little a time. It had been only a little more than half a year ago that she had been innocently drawn to the wellhouse, drawn into the world she now knew.  
  
Drawn to Inuyasha.  
  
The hanyou had taken to the trees, staying nearby in case they needed him, but away from them nonetheless. Kagome understood his need to be alone when he was upset, and how he could get testy when he was brooding and forced to be near them, but understanding made it no less painful when he struck out on his own, away from her.  
  
Tama was only half-conscious as Kagome and Sango tended her wounds. They covered the injured girl almost head to toe in herbal salve and bandages, and then wrapped her in her kimono. They discarded the white yukata, as the parts that weren't half-burned away were torn and bloodied.  
  
Kagome also gave Tama some aspirin and let her sleep. They could only hope she would hold out long enough to get back to Kagetoki's in time to see if the deputy lord knew where Sesshoumaru might be.  
  
It was very late when Kagome got up. Miroku and Sango were sleeping next to each other --the houshi had used the excuse that it was cold and two bodies had more body heat than one body; Kagome rolled her eyes at the memory. Kohaku had both kits in his lap, and the three of them were bundled together underneath a blanket, snoozing away. Tama was closest to the fire, being kept warm.   
  
Kagome had been bundled in her sleeping bag, but no matter how hard she tried, sleep wouldn't come. She felt dirty and bloody and icky, and there were minor wounds of her own that needed tending to that she had thought little enough to worry about later.  
  
They had camped near a small pond, hardly enough to be called such. More along the lines of "wide ditch with rainwater." Kagome looked at the pond, frowning at it helplessly. She wanted to bathe so terribly, but the water went just above her knees; hardly enough to soak in. Besides, it was too cold to soak pleasurably.  
  
*Well, I suppose this is the best I can do for now,* she thought, setting her bag at the edge of the grass. She undressed quickly, wanting to get the bath over and done with, with the same sort of speed. The air was freezing, and the miko could only be grateful it wasn't windy as well.   
  
There was a rustle of leaves high in the treetops, as if a faint wind blew above the canopy. Kagome stiffened, listening carefully. The sound had stopped, and now there was nothing.   
  
She went back to her bath, soaping up her sponge and rubbing gently over her arms. The soap irritated the small burns and Kagome winced, rinsing it off in the frigid water as quickly as she could. Smoothly she ran over her entire body, gratefully accepting the release that came with the bath, no matter how cold it was.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"KYA!!" Kagome squealed in fright at the sudden speech and in one motion, ducked into the shallow water and flung her soapy sponge at the creature, hoping to allay its advance long enough to call for Inuyasha--  
  
--until she realized it WAS Inuyasha.  
  
The hanyou raised his eyebrows at the small wet spot the sponge had caused when it bounced off his chest. Kagome blushed. "Sorry…"  
  
"Why are you out here alone? It's dangerous."  
  
"I had to take a bath, well, what little bath I could... And take care of these burns. They were driving me crazy."  
  
She could hardly see him, they were underneath the trees on a moonless night; the only way she knew he was there at all was by the rustling of grass as he moved towards her. His rough hands fell on her arms and he sounded disappointed as he ran his fingers gently over them. "You got hurt?"  
  
"It's not a big deal, they're don't hurt, really," she replied, lying a little bit. If they hurt bad enough for her to come wandering out here in the pitch dark in a world where monsters were an everyday occurrence, they hurt.  
  
She cursed mentally, knowing Inuyasha knew that. He sounded firm with her. "Liar." He shifted to sit a bit closer, and she could make out his outline in the dark. The pale gray mass that was his hair, a ruddy black that was his clothes. His eyes glowed in the dark, faintly.   
  
He hadn't released her wrist yet, but she felt him rustling around in her medkit. Something cold and gloppy touched her arm and she flinched as Inuyasha began to spread it over the wound. She made a soft pained sound and Inuyasha looked up. "Sorry."  
  
She glanced up at him. Their eyes met for a moment before he turned back to his work. He worked his way up from her wrist, seeking out the wounds by touch and then wrapping them. Once he was finished with that arm, he took the other.   
  
Kagome could very easily have pointed out that she was naked, sitting in waist-deep, freezing water. She could have insisted that she could deal with them herself. But she knew he was feeling bad because he'd allowed Genrou to take her, and that he was angry with himself for not protecting her better. It was the only reason he would be so pushy with her about treating her wounds himself.  
  
Besides, she had never wanted him to be with her as much as she wanted him to be now.  
  
The hanyou released her hand and she pulled away, flexing her fingers and assuring the bandages weren't too tight. She then looked up at him. "Thanks."  
  
"Keh," he muttered, gathering the miscellaneous band-aids and rolls of gauze, stuffing them back into Kagome's kit. "It's the least I can do, considering I'm the fucking idiot who got you hurt in the first place."  
  
"Inuyasha, it wasn't your fault," she protested, and the hanyou slammed the box shut, shifting to his knees to get up. "It is my fault! I wasn't strong enough to keep you away from that bastard, and if you hadn't been taken there you wouldn't have gotten hurt."  
  
Kagome stood up in the water quickly, stepping out of it and going towards him. She rested her hand on his arm and Inuyasha stopped, going rigid. The miko pulled him around to face her, the other hand cupping his cheek. Inuyasha was growling softly, and she knew it was at himself. "You can't blame yourself," she told him in a quiet voice, and he looked up at her.  
  
"The hell I can't. As long as you're with me, no matter how hard I fight or how strong I get, they're always going to go for you. Why the fuck do you even stay with me? It's because you're with me that you get hurt."  
  
"Because I love you, stupid," she told him, gently touching her lips to his. Inuyasha didn't react for a long moment, just stood still and allowed her to kiss him. Then, slowly, his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her back.  
  
Her skin was slick and wet as she moved against him, pressing herself closer as though she weren't close enough to him, even as they moved as one. It was as though he knew what she wanted from him before he did it, where she wanted him to touch her before she even asked.   
  
One hand reached out in the dark behind himself to feel for a place to lean, and slowly he let himself slide down to the ground, drawing Kagome down on top of him. He pulled away to breathe and looked into her eyes, his breath in soft, almost visible pants.   
  
Kagome leaned forward and laid her head on his shoulder, her arms hugging him firmly around the ribs. As familiar and minor the gesture seemed, it meant the world to him. Inuyasha hugged her back, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her hair.   
  
She smelled so good, so alive. Her body was unlike the cold dead thing he had embraced weeks ago when they killed Naraku. Unlike the smooth, cold clay of Kikyou, who had disappeared now that he had rejected her.  
  
Why do I get this horrible feeling, like a bitter taste in the back of my mouth, that soon, very soon, the tranquility of this precious moment will be lost to me, replaced by hurt and pain?   
  
Replaced by red, red anger, red grief.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes drooped, he blinked once, twice, and fell asleep, his arms around his sleeping companion.  
  
~*~  
  
"So do you understand the plan?"  
  
The elder miko sat at the altar that was against the back wall of the large fighting arena that was the top level of her shrine. Apprentice mikos were in the middle of the floor, two of them painting ancient youkai spells onto the very wood. Two others were lighting the thousands of candles that lined the walls.  
  
Uramiko looked over Kagura and Kanna, who had been joined by Torou. Kagura shrugged. "Yeah yeah. We swoop down, nab them and head back so you can do your magic… soul-sucking whatever. Let's go already."  
  
"I advise you to be careful, Kagura. Inuyasha is a strong foe. Not so much because of that rusted blade he likes to wave around, but just that he's incredibly persistent."  
  
"Yeah yeah, enough already," the wind sorceress said, waving a hand aggravatedly at her. They went to the enormous bay window in the side wall and Kagura plucked a feather from her short hair, tossing it out the window. The three minions boarded the feather as it grew huge and flew away.  
  
Uramiko watched them recede into the distance quietly. It wouldn't be long now.  
  
Not long at all.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome opened her eyes to see a sea of white. She blinked a little, confused, before realizing the white was actually Inuyasha's shirt. His haori was wrapped around her shoulders, as were his arms. Moving sluggishly she shifted, glancing up at his sleeping face.   
  
He looked so peaceful, as he had been that first day, pinned against the tree. She took the opportunity to memorize his features, lax and serene, whenever he slept. Even as long as they had been together, it was still something she rarely saw, because he was usually awake before her, having watched over her all night.  
  
She lay her head back against his heart, her body soothed by the gentle rise and fall of his chest, by the steady beat of his heart. Randomly her finger traced over the soft folds of his yukata and she breathed out deeply through her nose, her eyes drooping as she started to be lulled back to sleep--  
  
"Kagome-chan?"  
  
Color flooded the miko's face. Instantly she was awake, the peace of her moment shattered into a thousand million little pieces just at the sound of Sango's voice. Kagome turned, wincing at what she knew she would see.   
  
Behind her was EVERYONE. Even Tama was sitting up on Kirara's back, her amber eyes wide. Miroku was holding the kits together, covering their eyes, and Sango had clapped her own hand over Kohaku's eyes.  
  
Kagome made a startled squeak and turned back, burying her face into Inuyasha's chest. "GUYS~~" she muffle-yelped, which of course woke Inuyasha. The hanyou looked down at her. "What're you--" His eyes trailed up and he too blushed, growling a little.  
  
"What the hell are you guys gawping at?!!!"  
  
The houshi laughed, his mouth opening for some form of lecherous comment, but Inuyasha shook his head, raising his hand and cracking his knuckles. "Don't, bouzu, or I WILL cut you another hole in that hand to replace the one you lost."  
  
The houshi never closed his mouth. "I have business elsewhere," he said.  
  
~*~  
  
The clouds from the previous night had not dissipated; still, they hung ominously over the gumi as they trekked towards Kagetoki's home. In their usual line they tromped back through the thick forest that separated the wolves' den from the inuyoukai den. Tama leaned heavily upon Kirara's back as the big cat carted her about, and Sango, Miroku and Tanpopo stayed behind to keep an eye on the weakened hanyou.   
  
Kagome stuck by Inuyasha as she was prone to do, with Shippou on her shoulder and Kohaku at her side. Both boys had been commissioned to play lookouts, and both were eager to help in whatever way they could. and slowly but surely, they found they way back.  
  
As they were breaking from the forest on the north end, Inuyasha stopped suddenly, looking about warily. Miroku noticed this. "What is it, Inuyasha?"  
  
At the sound of the houshi's voice Kagome, who had walked several paces ahead of Inuyasha, stopped and looked back at him. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"This.. can't be…" he said in disbelief, "There's just no fucking way its…"  
  
Before he had a chance to say anything else, he spun, leaping at Kagome and pushing the miko out of the way just as several blades of what seemed to be wind shot down to the ground, breaking up the solid dirt road.  
  
Sango gasped as Miroku took a stance in front of her protectively, and Kohaku jumped in front of him, his chain-blade held out threateningly. From the sky a large feather lowered to the ground and Torou, Kanna and Kagura stepped down.   
  
The inugumi all gawped, eyes wide with shock. It was like seeing a ghost, the ghost of someone who had never really been your ally, but then, Kagura had never really been the enemy once she turned against Naraku. Especially in her final moments.   
  
Kagome pulled herself up by Inuyasha. "Kagura?!" she interjected, visibly surprised. Inuyasha pulled himself from an attack stance, still holding Tessaiga defensively before him. His eyes never left Kagura's form, nor Kanna's or Torou's flanking the wind-user.  
  
"How?" Sango demanded from somewhere behind him, "She's… You're supposed to be dead!!"  
  
"Lovely to see all of you as well," the wind-user said, "But I'm afraid to say, I have no memory of any of you bastards. I'm just here because I was asked."  
  
At this, all of them were surprised even further. Kagura has only ever wanted to be free; it would take a lot for her to take orders again.   
  
Like amnesia.  
  
Kagura struck out and Inuyasha defected the wind blades without skipping a beat. Instantly Torou rushed in swinging, and the hanyou backed away, slipping an arm around Kagome and leaping back. He dropped next to Miroku and released her.   
  
"Watch her," he told them before running back in. He took the two of them at the same time, Torou and Kagura slipping in and out and back again. Inuyasha was managing not to get hit, but at the same time was not making any damage himself.   
  
Inuyasha swung, Kagura dodged. He twisted the blade towards Torou and he caught the edge of the sword, holding it in place. Inuyasha started, a little surprised at that, and the hesitation was more than enough time. Kagura launched Fuujin no Mai at him.  
  
The inuhanyou tugged Tessaiga away from Torou in time to block most of the wind blades, but one struck his left thigh and another his right arm. Inuyasha cursed, hands tightening on the hilt of his sword as he landed, only to be blindsided by Ryuuja no Mai.   
  
The tornados rushed over and around him, and the hanyou's body was flung into the air. Kagura threw the wind blades his way once more. Realizing that this time he would not be able to dodge, Kagome reached back for her bow and notched an arrow, letting it fly the second she had aim.   
  
The purifying energy around the arrow created a shield, blocking the blades as Kirara flew up and caught the falling hanyou. Torou, still on ground by Kagura, cursed at Kagome. "Bitch, you wanna fight? Let's go."  
  
Kagome notched another arrow, and it struck Torou in the shoulder, and the demon howled. Skin and muscle was burned away and he staggered back. Kagura swept her fan at the miko, and Miroku took a defensive between them, spinning his shakujou and throwing them aside.  
  
The houshi and taijiya rushed their enemies, while the kits went to Kirara as she landed. Shippou hopped up by Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you okay??"  
  
"It's not bad," he told the kit, pulling his hand from his arm, which was bleeding. Kagome was suddenly at his side, and she tore off her neckerchief, tying it quickly around the wound. "Why would Kagura attack us… Even an amnesiac Kagura…"  
  
"Maybe it's just the fact she's part Naraku, the bastard…" he told her, and Kagome looked at him accusingly. "Inuyasha, Kagura hated Naraku. She wouldn't do anything she thought he might enjoy."  
  
"Yeah but we've already decided she's forgotten all that bullshit," he interjected, standing up and taking a few steps forward. Miroku and Sango were fighting Kagura and a wounded Torou without any trouble. None at all.  
  
It was almost as if they were just stalling… And then he noticed he couldn't find Kanna.  
  
Inuyasha turned to Kagome, his voice lifted in what might have been a yell to run, a shout for her to escape. He wasn't sure what would come out of his mouth as he turned to her, but as he did, he saw Kanna standing behind the miko and her charcoal eyes centered on his.   
  
The mirror she held flashed once, and Inuyasha's body stiffened. He felt all his strength leave him, as though it were being sucked out of him. Kagome murmured his name, and he heard her cry out as she was thrown aside as though she were a rag doll.   
  
His vision blurred, and just as his legs were about to buckle underneath his own weight, thin arms wrapped around his form. He fell back, and as his eyes closed he looked up, and saw the wrinkled old face of Uramiko.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha spun to face her and for a moment he looked frightened, as if he had realized something important. Kagome watched his eyes travel over her shoulder to someone behind her, and suddenly he stopped, as if all his joints had frozen.   
  
Like a statue he stood, eyes wide, and Kagome raised her eyebrows, confused. "Inuyasha?" Slowly, a dark form took shape behind him and Kagome's mouth dropped open as she recognized the silvery hair and red eyes that blurred into view. Dark-sleeved arms slipped around his body as he fell, and the young girl started forward in fear. "Inuyasha!!"   
  
Uramiko looked up at her fiercely. With the glance alone, an invisible force slammed into the younger miko and she was thrown to the ground. Kagome forced herself up, eyes going back to Inuyasha. The hanyou's eyes stared blankly at the sky, as if in a trance. He didn't struggle, he didn't fight the demon off.   
  
In fact the half-demon didn't move at all, and Kagome realized he couldn't, and that it was up to her to save him. Hoping to stall for a little bit of time, time enough to think of a way out of the mess, Kagome looked up at Uramiko with what she hoped was a fearless glare. "What do you intend to do with him?!!"  
  
The demon smiled. "In order for my master Naraku to rise again, he needs the blood of that man who killed him. Inuyasha is going to do me that favor."  
  
Kagome paled, but knocked herself from the stupor quickly, her hand flying back for an arrow. But in the time it took for her to notch the arrow and take aim, Uramiko --and Inuyasha-- were already gone. Kagome let out a soft squeak of dismay at how swiftly they had disappeared, and she caught her breath. *Inuyasha…!!*  
  
Having witnessed the whole event and realizing their business was finished, Kagura threw out her feather and the three youkai boarded it, taking to the air as suddenly as they had arrived. Miroku and Sango watched them leave, face taut with anger and concern for their kidnapped friend.   
  
Kagome stared blankly at the place Inuyasha had been moments before, as if she could not comprehend the fact that he was gone. It had been that quick; he was there one moment and then he wasn't, and the only thing Kagome could think was, *I couldn't stop her… I couldn't protect him…!*  
  
But instead of falling to her knees, instead of collapsing into a heap, she took a step forward, then another. What would Inuyasha do? Another step. What had Inuyasha done, dozens of times before, and would do again, for her sake? She took another step. Then another and another, faster and faster, until she was in a breath-taking dash for Uramiko's shrine. She could heard the others, Miroku and Sango, behind her, calling her name.  
  
"Kagome-chan!!!"  
  
"Kagome-sama, where are you going?!!"  
  
She didn't even spare the seconds to look back. Her voice was full of confidence. "I'm going to save him!"  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Im late beyond late~ Please please please don't hurt me.   
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	41. Red

First off, Im sorry that for the past month or so I've been MIA, but the ideas just refused to come. No matter how long I stared at my computer screen, the only thing that would come were pounding headaches. (actually, I knew what I was gonna write, it just wasn't writing right.) But I managed to get ahold of some Inuyasha manga chapters; namely chapter 355, Kakera o Tsukau. YUMMY stuff~!!! v^^-  
  
I pity those who havent yet read it!!! ITS AWESOME! Takahashi-sensei finally finally did what all of us have been wanting (I think I speak for everyone on that, anyway…) Mua hahaha~ Anyway, on to the fic…  
  
NOTE : I revised chapter 40!!!! I hated the ending; I was in a slump when I wrote it and felt that you guys were getting screwed over because that was most certainly NOT my best ever. U.U;;; So the ending was revised (its basically the same though, so only go back and read it if you want to) On to the new chapter~~!  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Ten :: Naraku's Soul  
  
Chapter Forty-One :: Red  
  
Kagome pushed her way through trees and bushes, mentally cursing when a thorny branch fought back her pushing and tore at her clothes. She had a few scratches on her legs to show for it, but she continued on, heedless of them. Nothing mattered except getting to him. Even the fact that Inuyasha was stronger than her and could very easily take care of himself mattered little to her.  
  
*If something happened to him,* she began, then shook her head, using her bow to hack her way through a particularly argumentative bush. If she even thought of it, it would bring her down. And if somehow Uramiko DID manage to bring back Naraku, she would need all her strength.  
  
She knew the others were coming, they had taken flight shortly after she broke for the shrine. But they still had Tama to worry about, and so she assumed they would not be able to travel as quickly. That was okay; they weren't THAT far behind, and she and Inuyasha would be able to hold off Naraku easily.   
  
It was not only possible, but very probable even, that they could kill him again, considering that coming back from death might have the effect of leaving him disoriented and temporarily powerless.  
  
*I'm being awfully optimistic about this,* she thought with a sudden bleakness. As she walked, the brush and trees began to thin out, and abruptly stopped completely. Manicured grass, paved walkways and statues of demons began to take their place.   
  
Kagome looked up. Uramiko's enormous shrine loomed over her. She chewed her lip in disgust; how she had come to hate this place. She could almost say that she had never hated a place before. Naraku always moved from castle to castle, except when he'd sealed himself within Hakureizan. That was to this day the only place she could say she despised with all of her being.  
  
Uramiko's little fortress was a very close second.  
  
Kagome glanced over her shoulder, checked her arrow supply. Full. Then she took a deep breath and ran forward, throwing open the doors and beginning her search for which of the hundreds of rooms Uramiko had taken her hanyou lover.  
  
~*~  
  
His head was foggy. His temples throbbed with a minor headache that refused to back down, seeming to gain in strength. His body felt weak, as if he had been awakened during sleep, and wasn't ready to get up yet. He tried to lift his arm and discovered he couldn't.   
  
His ears detected the sounds of rustling around the room, and he shifted on the ground, the heat of the room becoming unbearable. Beads of sweat sprung up on his skin underneath his clothes and it itched uncomfortably, as if tiny little bugs scampered around out of sight. His nose picked up burning candle wax --it would take hundreds to come up with that smell, not to mention the heat in the room-- and also various youkai scents.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes flew open as the memory of what happened snapped back into focus just as swiftly, and he tried to sit up. Again he wasn't able to. Frustrated, he twisted his head down, looking down at his body. There was nothing holding him down, except his wrists and ankles were pinned down by sealing o-fuda.  
  
He swore loudly, tugging against them. They didn't come up, didn't even budge. He laid his head back in defeat, cursing again to himself. She'd been ready. But why the hell had Uramiko taken him? What use was he to her?   
  
He didn't hear the thump of bare feet against polished wood until Uramiko was staring down at him. "I'm glad you're awake," she said with the devious smirk only she and Naraku could pull off so well. She knelt by his side, smoothing the hair back from his face almost affectionately, "I want you to feel this as it happens."  
  
Inuyasha pulled away from her as best he could, hindered greatly being tied down. "You bitch," he cursed her, "What are you planning to do with me?"  
  
Uramiko turned her face towards the altar. It was in the same place as last time, Inuyasha noticed, realizing they were in the dojo where Uramiko had turned his friends against him. On the altar, surrounded by candles, was a set of bones. Inuyasha swallowed, unsure of what it was. Rather, who it had once been. He had a good idea, and it infuriated him.  
  
"You're bringing that son of a bitch back…" he said lowly, and Uramiko smiled. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for."  
  
"You seem to have that tendency, to fucking underestimate me," he told the youkai miko, cracking a smile. Uramiko let it slide, and it only worried at him more that she hadn't lashed out. At least if she had he would have known she could be cracked.  
  
"What the hell do I have to do with it though," Inuyasha demanded and Uramiko smiled. "The spell that will breathe life into Naraku's body requires 3 essentials: his bones, and the blood of his killer and the presence of all those who were with him when he died."  
  
The lump in Inuyasha's throat grew a little bigger. The presence of those who were with Naraku who were with him when he died..??  
  
Miroku.  
  
Sango.  
  
Shippou.  
  
Kagome.  
  
"Oh shit," he muttered and Uramiko smiled, pleased with his discomfort. She reached out, running her fingers over the soft red fur of his haori. Her fingers found the ties easily and snapped them; gently she drew open his haori, baring his chest. Inuyasha watched her, growling threateningly, though fruitlessly, and both of them knew that.   
  
The miko smirked at him, the wrinkles in her face tightening as she did so. "Inuyasha, don't tease yourself. You're going to do no damage pinned down like that."  
  
Violently, Inuyasha thrust against the fuda, pulling and yanking at them in a desperate effort to free himself, but the strips of paper held a great deal of power. His wrists never left the polished wooden boards, and Uramiko ignored his struggles.   
  
He paused when she gently ran her claws over his bare flesh, shuddering inwardly with disgust at the expression of almost-longing in her red eyes. In the time it took him to blink, she had cut a thin slash in his skin.   
  
"Unh..." Inuyasha winced as she pressed her hand against the uncut skin, forcing more blood from the wound. It ran down his side, warm and wet. Uramiko drew an item from her sash, a small saucer like a sake cup. She held it at his side, allowing it to fill completely.  
  
The miko stood then, taking special care of the blood she'd collected, and walked back to the altar. Inuyasha lifted his eyes, glaring up at the table. His most hated enemy would revive? Because of him?? There was no way he would stand for it. Not as long as he was alive.  
  
"Don't think I thought of that, do you?" Uramiko suddenly said, replying to his unspoken thoughts. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Whaddaya mean?"  
  
The miko turned her eyes to him, and said simply, "Your role in this act isn't yet finished." He raised an eyebrow. Uramiko turned away from him and retrieved a large group of herbs that she had tied together in a braid.  
  
Next she trickled a drop of the blood she'd taken from him over it, coating the dried herbs very carefully. Then she lit the broken ends of the herbs, and reddish smoke billowed from them. As she did this, she chanted quietly.  
  
As she muttered her silent mantra, Inuyasha felt his body growing hot, as hot as a summer day at its worst. The throbbing in his head worsened, becoming a maddening drum in his ears, and it was the only thing he could hear. He felt a strangled, pained sound come from himself, but couldn't hear it. Of their own volition his ears folded back against his hair, as if it would help to hold out the sounds.  
  
Slowly he realized the drum he heard wasn't his head; it was his heart. His heart beat against his chest madly, as though he had run too fast for too long, and he couldn't breathe. He felt a pulse of energy emit from his body, and his formerly weak form was suddenly swelling with power.   
  
But with this power came an unmistakable feeling of loss, and he understood what the witch was doing to him. *No,* his mind begged, *I'm not going to give up, I'm not going to lose to it!* But even as he said this, he could feel his youkai blood raging, and he was falling backwards, unable to stop his plummet into the dark abyss.  
  
Uramiko watched the hanyou writhe in pain on the ground, her chant never dying down. She could already see the violet stripes forming on his cheekbones; the claws on his pinned hands were growing longer. She smirked, and finished the incantation, throwing the burning herb-braid out over Naraku's bones.   
  
The pain and the heat in Inuyasha's body soared, and he screamed.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome blanched, her heart skipping a beat as she heard the tell-tale thrum of Inuyasha's youki in the air, the unmistakable sensation of the gradually increasing strength. There was no wonder, no speculation. Only worry. She knew.  
  
The young miko bit her lip and started running again, the frantic drum of Inuyasha's unsteady youki wavering ever more. He was struggling to stay a hanyou; she could sense it. She could feel him fighting it, and she could feel him failing. The endless stairway seeming even more unending in her panic. *Inuyasha... Inuyasha...!!!*  
  
"INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed his name as she burst through the doors, and took in the room with a quick scan. The high cathedral ceiling was littered with candles, as were as the walls and the floor. On the north end of the room was a huge open window with an altar, just as she remembered. Uramiko was standing there, watching a figure in the middle of the room.  
  
And then her eyes fell on Inuyasha, and she caught her breath. The hanyou was lying on the floor in the middle of the room, surrounded by candles. Underneath his body were thousands of spells painted onto the floor itself.  
  
He was pinned down by his wrists, writhing, crying out in pain. He snapped at the air with elongated teeth, and his hands hooked into claws, the fingers flexing. Kagome caught a glimpse of the faint red aura coating his body, much like a filmy layer of mist, but it didn't register.  
  
To her horror, the fuda that were holding him down --the very literal cage for the beast-- tore abruptly, shredded flecks of paper spraying into the air. Instantly Inuyasha's hands went to his head, kept it from beating against the ground. With a final cry of pain, he shuddered and went still.  
  
It was then Kagome tore herself from her stupefied staring and ran to his side, calling his name. He didn't reply, didn't even stir. She gently took his head into her lap, brushing his hair away from his face. The sight of the violet stripes on his cheeks didn't surprise her. What did surprise her was that they didn't frighten her either.  
  
"Inuyasha," she said softly, shaking him. He winced, bringing himself back to consciousness. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, smiling. "Inuyasha~" Abruptly, blazing red eyes snapped open. He whirled up, onto his knees and Kagome gasped, sitting back just in time for his long claws to go whizzing through air.  
  
The front of her blouse slit horizontally, the fabric hanging loosely over her exposed chest. The white lace bra she wore had just barely been touched, and a thin line of blood sprang up on her skin.  
  
Inuyasha leapt backwards several feet away from her, snarling fiercely. The miko looked down, drawing her arm up over her nearly-exposed breasts. She looked up, fear tight in her features.   
  
Uramiko stepped down from the altar, taking a few steps forward. "Afraid, are we? I don't blame you. Dying by the hand of your lover is surely is frightening experience."  
  
Kagome swallowed, looking at Inuyasha. Would he really be able to hurt her? Of course not. She did not doubt him. Even as a youkai, she was certain he wouldn't actually hurt her. But still, a prolonged period of time in the youkai's presence was dangerous, whether she trusted him or not. Inuyasha was mad in this form, unable to recongnize friend from foe. Perhaps even his woman.   
  
"I thought you needed me," Kagome inquired, hoping to stall the witch, "You need me and the others to bring back Naraku. You would give that up just for the pleasure of watching Inuyasha kill me…?"  
  
Uramiko snorted. "I never said you had to be alive to bring Naraku back." As she said this, Inuyasha's mouth broadened into a wicked smile, eyes glittering. He crept forward a step, and Kagome caught her breath, her fingers tightening in fright. "Inuyasha…"  
  
Uramiko's own smile widened. "Kill her."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Sorry for the cliffie, those are my favorite writing devices. But 42 is already finished so it will be up soon. Please review!!! ^_^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	42. The Reborn Tyrant

Hey!! Yes, I'm updating sooner than usual!! lmao I'm so glad I finished this chapter, I worked late into the night for 3 days trying to get the middle right. .;;; Anyway, I'm FINALLY happy with it. AND it's a freaking long chapter, 10 pages. I hope you guys are pleased also!!! On to the chapter!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Ten :: Naraku's Soul  
  
Chapter Forty-Two :: The Reborn Tyrant  
  
"Tama-chan, are you okay?"  
  
At the question, the bandaged hanyou lifted her head weakly to look up to meet the taijiya's concerned eyes. Slowly she nodded and Sango turned back towards the front. Tanpopo was sitting in her lap, holding onto Kirara's fur for dear life.   
  
They were flying hard and fast, faster than they had been going for the past day altogether. The fast travel was bothering Tama, but the hanyou never complained; she knew the gravity of the matter. She was just as worried about Inuyasha as any of them.  
  
Miroku ran at Sango's side, Shippou hanging to his shoulder. The little kit looked worried as he leaned forward to speak into the houshi's ear. "Miroku, what do you think they're gonna do with Inuyasha?"  
  
He shook his head, glancing offhandedly at the kit. "I'm not sure. I know for certain though that this is a trap." Hearing this, Tanpopo turned her little auburn head the monk's way, eyebrows raised in query. "A trap?"  
  
"Yes," he replied, "I do not know what Uramiko is up to, but she is surely luring us to her shrine." As Miroku spoke, Sango watched him. He seemed more worried than her, as if he knew something else and was holding it back so that the others would to have to worry more than they needed. But out of the bottom of her vision she noticed her beloved's right hand clenching.  
  
Sango pursed her lips, turning back towards the pathway hacked through by Kagome minutes before and pondering what that could mean. He was just worried about Inuyasha, but something told her the action held more meaning than simple concern for a friend.   
  
The answer hit her like a bolt of lightning and she shook as if physically shocked. Uramiko had mentioned several times before whom she served. It had never even occurred to the group why she seemed to familiar with his techniques, why she would be able to control his minions. But as they flew through the air, it seemed to fall into place for Sango, the tiny hints and clues that they had dismissed or not even noticed.  
  
She gently patted her faithful cat-demon's head, leaning down by her ear. "Kirara, we have to hurry!" The big cat gave a roar of agreement and sped up.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome hit the ground hard, slipping and sliding on the polished wooden floors as her momentum whizzed her past. Inuyasha stood where she had been before, his face angry. Again she had dodged his attack, and he growled menacingly at her, as if cursing her.  
  
Kagome looked down at her arm. The bandages lining her hand and arm, the bandages Inuyasha had put on for her, had been shredded off with her sleeve. She still clutched the torn fabric of her shirt up over her breasts. It seemed a little stupid to worry about being seen half-naked; after all, it would appear she was in a life or death situation.   
  
But there was something different about Inuyasha, and Kagome knew that she was the only one who could see it. Kagura, Torou, Kanna and Uramiko all stood nearby, watching the hanyou attack the miko repeatedly, and everytime she just barely managed to dodge, they cursed. She knew that they didn't see what she saw.  
  
Kagome knew his abilities almost as well as he himself did. She knew how fast he was, how strong he was. She had been with him for almost a year, and more than anything she knew him. She knew how deadly he could be.  
  
Inuyasha would never miss. As a hanyou he had his shortcomings, but as a full youkai, in a death match against a human? He would never miss. Never.  
  
And what she saw was that he was.  
  
With every attack that just barely grazed her, every slice that only took off a strip of clothing, Kagome felt a tendril of hope grow in her heart. Inuyasha couldn't hurt her. He was hardly trying. It was easy to dodge him because he wasn't trying to hurt her.  
  
Did that mean he still had his human heart? That he had only taken the youkai form and managed to keep his head? *No,* Kagome told herself, leaping to the side again and feeling his claws rake down the back of her uniform, a few strands of hair snapping and fluttering into the air also. *He really is a youkai right now… But maybe…*  
  
Against the doors, those in the room all heard a creak as something heavy pushed against it. For a moment Inuyasha paused, turning with a snarl towards the wooden-framed doors. Kagome, as well as Uramiko and her brood also, all turned to the doors. From outside it, the young miko heard Miroku's voice.  
  
"Push harder!"  
  
"Guys!" Kagome called happily, elated at their arrival. From the other side, she heard the kits squeal is relief at her voice. Sango's own relief was not lost as all as she called out, "Kagome-chan, are you alright?!"  
  
Across the room, Uramiko growled low in her throat, a sound both bewildered and irritated. She lifted a hand and uttered a short incantation, and Kagome's throat tightened when she saw a black aura slide over the doors like a veil, and it seemed to push back. Miroku uttered a short curse, before continuing to push hard against the doors.  
  
Bored with the situation now, deep red eyes turned on Kagome again, and in an instant Inuyasha had pounced towards her. The teenager let out a yelp of surprise at his sudden quickness and tried to dart to the side, but he reached out, snagging her arm. Kagome spun abruptly, turning to face her attacker, and before she realized what she was doing, she had brought her bow up in a powerful thwack to the crazed hanyou's temple.  
  
Her miko energy flared through the weapon and put the force of cinderblock behind it. Inuyasha let out a cry of pain as the purifying power threw him back, and he crashed into the wall, crumpling to the ground, his face twisted into an expression of pain. He made a shaky effort to move, but after only a moment his body went lax as he lost consciousness.  
  
Kagome caught her breath, snapping from her daze. She had just hit him… She had struck him as if he had been an enemy and not the man she loved. Her bow clattered to the ground and she ran towards the body lying slumped at the base of the wall.  
  
He was breathing, but his eyes were closed and his limbs slack, as if sleeping. Kagome's bottom lip quivered as she inspected the side of his face she'd hammered. It was slightly burned and a huge reddish-purple welt in the shape of her bow was already rising up on his flawless skin.   
  
Her fingers gently traced over it as she whispered his name regretfully. She leaned forward, hugging him. "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry…"  
  
A deep, threatening growl rumbled deep in his chest, and a clawed hand tightened painfully around her small wrists. Kagome's eyes snapped open and she pulled away sharply, only to be yanked back, hard against his chest. Claws dug into her skin, and Kagome felt a warm trickle down the backs of her arms.   
  
The halfling was furious, and Kagome tried to cringe away from that angry stare. *He.. tricked me…* Inuyasha's upper lip curled back, baring his fangs with a wide, toothy grin that conveyed every ounce of the bloodlust he was experiencing. Kagome's eyes crinkled sadly. *Inuyasha, did you really forget everything we've been through? Did you forget me??*  
  
"You're.. not Kikyou.."  
  
"You get it?! My name is Kagome! Ka! Go! Me!"  
  
*  
  
"Shut up! I'm saying I'll protect you!"  
  
*  
  
"You know, at that time I thought it didn't matter where you were. But then, when I saw your face, my strength came. And I realized… I want you by my side."  
  
*  
  
"I like seeing the soft side to you every so often."  
  
"Keh! That sounds like you're saying I never give in…!"  
  
"That's okay, isn't it? After all, you're not alone anymore."  
  
*  
  
"I thought you had forgotten me too. I got scared."  
  
"Don't be stupid. No matter what happens, I'm me. There's no way I could forget you."  
  
*  
  
"So.. you'll stay with me…?"  
  
"……Yes."  
  
*  
  
"I'm not crying! I'm just glad everyone's alive!"  
  
*  
  
"I'm not going! I'm never leaving your side again!"  
  
"Liar."  
  
*  
  
"..You idiot…! Why.. did you…"  
  
"It's okay...As long as you're alive... I don't mind... I just... couldn't let him... kill you...…"  
  
*  
  
"Kikyou held me in my loneliness. You saved me from it. Which is why I love you, Kagome. I only see you."  
  
*  
  
"You promised me. You said you would never leave my side again... You haven't left me yet... don't leave me now...!"  
  
"Okay. I won't leave you. I'm still here."  
  
*  
  
"I talked to Kikyou."  
  
"What happened...??"  
  
"... It's... it's over."  
  
*  
  
"Don't get lost, koinu-chan, now that I've taken off your collar."  
  
"…….Thank you, koishii."  
  
*  
  
"You can't blame yourself."  
  
"The hell I can't. As long as you're with me, no matter how hard I fight or how strong I get, they're always going to go for you. Why the fuck do you even stay with me? It's because you're with me that you get hurt."  
  
"Because I love you, stupid."   
  
Kagome looked up at him desperately, her eyes narrowing as unbidden tears filled her eyes. She felt no fear of death, only the fear that he had truly forgotten her. The pain of that betrayal. The anger of it. She lifted her hand, fighting his strength, until her fingers closed around the long shank of silvery hair that hung by his face. She gave the hair a hard tug, bringing their noses inches apart.  
  
His red eyes widened, emitting a mangled protest that sounded like both a child crying out and a kicked dog. For the first time in his youkai state, Kagome saw him as Inuyasha, and not a monster who wore his face. He had the very same expression he always got when he was about to be reprimanded, and in his surprise, his hands opened, releasing her.  
  
As quickly as the surprised grimace appeared, it disappeared, replaced by a repulsed frown. But she never wavered, even when he began to growl again; without a moment's hesitation, she threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself up close to him and burying her face in his hair. "Inuyasha!"   
  
"Uh.." He sounded ever more like himself with that half-sound. She knew his face to be horrified; the youkai simply didn't know what to do. His arms hung out to the sides as if he now did not know what to do with them, his entire body tensing as though the very sound of her voice were confusing. Like he was unable to grasp the concept of his own name. *I know this voice,* he said to himself, *I know her scent. I know the feel of her arms around me. ..Why…?*  
  
"Uramiko!" The old miko was roused from her spell on the door by Kagura's call, and she turned towards to Inuyasha and Kagome. The sight of them, together, was both puzzling and infuriating, and the stepped down from the raised altar back to the floor. "Inuyasha, kill that girl, now!"   
  
The half-youkai hesitated, his mouth hanging agape, eyes narrowed in bewilderment. Uramiko grit her teeth with a half-snarl. *What is that stupid brat-child doing?! She can't possibly think, as untrained and weak as her powers are, that she could undo this Uramiko's spell?* She lifted her hands in a form for a spell, willing him to go through with what she had bid him. "Inuyasha! Do as I tell you!"  
  
Inuyasha groaned, one hand going up to hold his head. The other pushed weakly at Kagome's shoulder, trying to get her away from him. The miko held onto him doggedly, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. "Inuyasha, please!"  
  
Uramiko continued her chant, immersing her focus in that. The spell over the door slowly wore down, and abruptly they slammed open with a bang. Miroku and the others staggered in, not prepared for the sudden release of the formerly stubborn door. The houshi's eyes searched the room quickly before finally landing on the struggling hanyou and miko.  
  
"Kagome-sama!!" He started forward as if to go to her, but Kagome shook her head, still refusing to let Inuyasha go. "NO! It's okay, stay there!!"  
  
The other man stopped, irked, his face obviously telling of how badly he wanted to get his friend away from the mad Inuyasha. Sango stood at his side, her hand on Hiraikotsu's tether. "Kagome-chan…" The group watched from afar as Inuyasha flexed his hands, still unable to regain himself. Blood was seeping through Kagome's sleeve where he was tearing into her shoulder with his claws.  
  
*I believe in you,* she prayed silently, *I trust you.*  
  
"GrrrrrAGH!" Inuyasha bellowed, pushing at her harder. "…Get.. off me!!"   
  
The young miko shook her head outwardly. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me!! I'm not going to lose you!!"  
  
From the corner of her eye, Tanpopo noticed Uramiko's lips moving in a quiet chant. Puzzled, the kit looked at Shippou. "Shippou-kun, what is that old bag doin'?" The smaller kit peeked out from behind Miroku, wide blue eyes narrowing. After a moment he gasped. "She's puttin' a spell on Inuyasha!! C'mon!"  
  
In an instant, he'd grabbed her hand and Tanpopo let out a soft squeal in confusion as Shippou raced towards Uramiko. The focused youkai miko didn't even see the kits until they were on her, Shippou pouncing onto her head and Tanpopo on her leg. Both children bit down as hard as they could.  
  
"AAAH!" Uramiko screamed, wildly flailing in an attempt to remove the offending little monsters from her body. Naturally the commotion caught the attention of Miroku and Sango. "What in the hell?"   
  
"Little brats," Kagura cursed, lifting her fan. "Fuujin no--" A whooshing sound broke her away from her attack, and she ducked in time for Hiraikotsu to whiz over her head and slam into the wall with a crunch. Irritated, the wind sorcereress glared up at the taijiya. Sango narrowed her eyes back. "I'm your opponent."  
  
Uramiko reached up, grabbing Shippou by his hair and throwing him to the ground, and with a kick threw off Tanpopo by him. Wrinkled hand crackling with energy, she prepared to attack them-- when Miroku's shakujou leveled at her throat. In a voice that brooked no argument, he said, "Don't touch them."  
  
~*~  
  
He shook his head. "I won't go," he told her, his voice filled with conviction. His face was solemn as he promised, "I'm never leaving your side again!" Despite his words, the girl across from him looked bored and disbelieving. "Liar."  
  
He was insulted. "WHAT? That's not a lie!" *I swear it! I won't ever leave you again.*  
  
Beneath closed lids, the youkai watched the memory play out. Why did he remember this? Who was the girl who clung to him so desperately? Why did he seem to care about her? From deep inside himself, appearing from underneath the bloodlusting haze, was a voice that sounded much like his own. *This person is precious to me,* the voice said softly, almost like a dream, *I love her.* Inuyasha's eyes creaked open. Blurry vision fell on the girl.  
  
She looked up at him painfully as she watched him struggle to regain himself. She could only imagine the war raging inside of him, the fight that surely he must have endured his entire life. He was a hanyou after all, with his human heart and his youkai instincts vying for superiority inside him.  
  
Unexpectedly, Kagome heard herself say out loud, "You're a hanyou, my hanyou. You don't have to choose between them, you're both! And I like it that way!" She hugged him tighter. "I love you that way… Inuyasha…!"  
  
His eyes snapped open.  
  
Kagome tensed when she felt his hands come up around her again, but the warm arms only wrapped around her, pulling her closer. She looked up at him, and was met with dark gold irises, staring down at her apologetically. "Ka… gome.."   
  
"Inuyasha~!" Her fingers knotted into his clothes and she threw herself into his chest, allowing the tears to coming finally. Inuyasha leaned down, holding her tightly. His claws stank of her blood, and he could smell fear and despair on her. It didn't matter right now, he would apologize later.   
  
But now, he just wanted her near him.   
  
~*~  
  
Everyone seemed to stop at Kagome's cry, and Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. "He's back to normal…" Sango smiled. "That's good…"  
  
"It's too late."  
  
Miroku turned, narrowing his eyes at Uramiko. The old woman grit her teeth, her red eyes blazing with the undeniable fury at her spell's defeat. No doubt, the houshi considered, it was enough to drive one stark-raving mad, watching the power of love break her invincible spell.   
  
"What do you mean?" he demanded, pressing the end of his shakujou against her throat. Uramiko smirked and abruptly fell to pieces underneath their eyes. Miroku cursed softly, looking around for her.   
  
"I mean," her voice called from behind the table, "that it is far too late to save you fools now." Everyone turned back towards the altar, looking over the table where the bones laid out in the form of a man lay. Kanna had already lit for Uramiko a braid of herbs similar to the one she'd used on Inuyasha, and she held them symbolically over the bones. "I have the hanyou's blood and the rest of you are here, just as you were before! To witness his rebirth the way you witnessed his death!"  
  
"Wait up, you bitch!"  
  
Uramiko looked past Miroku to Inuyasha. Across the room, Kagome was helping the hanyou to stand. Uramiko felt a swell of pride in herself. Even if he had failed to kill her, the spell had done its job; the boy was now weakened and he could hardly stand on his own. He had wrapped his fire-rat cloak around her, considering he had shredded her own clothes. The hanyou glared at her. "If you think I'm going to allow you to bring back Naraku, you're got another fucking thing coming!"  
  
"Bring back…" Sango echoed in shock, and Miroku cursed, clenching his right hand. "So that's it then. That's how you know everything about him, how you know so much about us! Naraku left you behind to bring him back when we killed him!"  
  
The witch smiled, tipping her head as though bowing. "Well detected. Indeed it was I who salvaged Kagura's broken body and Naraku's bones from the wreckage. It was I to whom he gave shards of the Jewel to in the event you filth won and took the Jewel. But on this day, he shall be reborn!"  
  
"I won't let you!!" Inuyasha roared, drawing Tessaiga. He left Kagome's side though and his knees buckled. The girl went to him, drawing his arm over her shoulder. "Inuyasha!"  
  
"Fucking.. she did this to me," he cursed. Kagome watched him anxiously. His eyes held a fatigue that she hadn't yet seen in this sort of situation, and she wondered just how hard he had to fight to come back to her. Or was there something else to this puzzle..??   
  
Thunder rumbled outside, and the crew stepped back in apprehension as a dark jyaki began to fill the room. Uramiko crumpled the burning herbs in her hand and then threw the ashes over the bones with a final incantation, and over the gumi's heads, bolts of black lightning cracked. Miroku pulled Sango from the danger, taking her under his protection while Kirara handled the kids and Tama, and then a gigantic bolt struck the table, setting the bones ablaze with an ethereal fire.   
  
"Dammit, no!" Inuyasha yelled, as a horde of lower youkai swarmed in through the open window and began to flow over the bones. In the midst of a purple cloud of shouki, muscle began to take form over the bare bones, and then skin and hair began to grow.   
  
Miroku and Sango watched with wide brown eyes as the arm lifted from the table. Kagome's breath caught as the form sat up. Inuyasha's throat rumbled with a threatening, hateful growl.  
  
Naraku sagged slightly, as one does when first wakened from deep sleep. One hand reached out to his side, and Uramiko came to him, slipping his baboon pelt around his naked body. After a moment, the youkai's lids rose over deep red, amused eyes.  
  
"It's been awhile… Inuyasha."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: Okay! ^_^ Naraku's back! I've been DYING to write him, he's the coolest freaking bad guy on the planet, don't you agree?! Dick though he may be, he's a COOL dick. And he's the kind we LOVE to hate. Plus he's pretty good looking (until he gets to the icky transformation-into-tentacles part, and then its minikui-- ugly.)   
  
Btw, the quotes are from various Inuyasha/Kagome scenes from both the original manga and my fic. The first eight are from volumes 1, 2, 8, 12, 16, 18, 25 and 29. The next six are from 2bwu2morrow chapters 1, 7, 10, 28, 34 and 40. My Japanese isn't the best, so my translation might be a little scritchy on the quotes from the manga. ^^;;; Did my best though, so I get an A for effort.  
  
(remember that my fic takes places before Hakudoushi appeared, a little bit into volume 30. That's why I don't have any of the awesome scenes that happened AFTER that. My next fic will be current with the manga. ^_^ …I think. ^^;;; )  
  
Okay, well, please review! I will try to have the next chapter up as quickly as this one, ne? ^_^  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	43. Soul Energy

I wrote this in 3 days!!! o.o!! I'm absolutely SHOCKED! I NEVER write that quickly!!! AND it's another long chappie!! ::grins:: Oh yeah, baby. Tessen's on a roll. V^_~  
  
Well minna, this is To Be With You Tomorrow's first birthday!!! YAY!!!! A year ago today I posted chapter one and began this little journey! We've come a long way, and only a few more chapters to go before the conclusion! In honor of today (I'm REALLY happy, forgive me) I've drawn a huge group piccie, posted on DA~ It includes some characters Ive toyed around with but never actually drawn, like Naraku and Uramiko. ^_^ So please check it out if you're so inclined~  
  
Anyway, onto the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V  
  
____________________________  
  
To Be With You Tomorrow  
  
Part Ten:: Naraku's Soul  
  
Chapter Forty-Three :: Soul Energy  
  
"Kikyou-sama!"  
  
Kikyou looked up at the young voice calling her, and she set aside her task to greet the child. The boy presented her with a bundle of herbs and flowers, and Kikyou smiled gratefully. "Thank you Rikyuu-kun. You've been a great help to me."  
  
The boy promptly gushed with delight, his plump face flushing with pride. Kikyou had taken to this village shortly after her last encounter with Inuyasha. It was a village that had been through three wars in the past few months alone, and wracked with the sick and elderly, as well as numerous orphans.  
  
Kikyou, as she had in the days of her short life, was village healer and playmate for the children. Rikyuu, one of the younger orphans at only five years of age, had grown especially attached to her. His elder sister often commented herself that Kikyou reminded her of their dead mother, and Kikyou knew that Rikyuu looked up to her as such.  
  
She didn't mind; she adored children, and Rikyuu in particular was quick to volunteer his help with anything, whether it be carting firewood, fetching water or gathering herbs. Albeit he was a small boy and could only do so much, Kikyou loved his spirit and his never-ending barrage of grins and smiles.  
  
He rather reminded her of someone she used to love…  
  
I have told you time and time again that I'm going to take you to Hell with me. That when you die, it will be my hand that sends you. That has not changed. I swear I will kill you Inuyasha. You and I will descend to Hell together. For all the times you couldn't trust me before, you can trust me on that.  
  
*I meant it,* she told herself. *He may not have been the one who took my life all those years ago, but he betrayed me. He loves another. While his life belongs to me!*  
  
"Kikyou-sama??" The miko looked up at Rikyuu's confused gaze. "Whassa matter?"  
  
She smiled, patting his hair. "Nothing, Rikyuu-kun. I'm alright. Let's go and look for more herbs, shall we?" The child nodded vigorously and she stood, leading him back towards the village by the hand.   
  
The sound of running feet and panicked cries drew both of their faces up, and with a confused expression Rikyuu moved behind Kikyou, as the miko herself stepped forward, turning her own puzzled expression on the others. "What is happening?"   
  
One of the village men pointed for clarification. "Youkai have broken loose across the province!"  
  
Kikyou turned, narrowing her eyes. A swarm of lower youkai, insects, reptiles and oni alike, were flying west, at a speed which worried the miko. It was an attack speed, and the jyaki and pure hatred emanating from the group verified this easily.   
  
What worried her more however was that youkai on a rampage stopped to destroy and kill wherever they saw life. The panicked villagers in this tiny place had not fear to for their lives, because in an instant the swarm was gone, having passed them over without so much as a second glance.  
  
*They are being drawn somewhere,* Kikyou realized, *In that direction is Uramiko's shrine. Something has happened.*  
  
"Rikyuu-kun, you stay here with the other children. I will return shortly." The boy's face twisted in worry. "But, Kikyou-sama!!"  
  
Kikyou took the horse brought to her, tightening the strap of her quiver over her clothes before mounting. She looked down at Rikyuu as his sister pulled him away from the horse. "Listen to me now," Kikyou commanded, "I must see to this matter. Behave yourself." The stern face was replaced by a soft smile, "I promise I will come back." And then she dug her heels in and the horse whinnied in protest, taking off to the west.  
  
As she rode, Kikyou recognized the growing jyaki from Uramiko's shrine. Her teeth grit involuntarily. *So she's brought him back, has she…?*  
  
~*~  
  
"Naraku."  
  
Miroku spat the name with distaste, as if the simple feel of it on his lips made him want to vomit. Kohaku, at his side, glared upon his former captor with a hatred far too great for one his age, and Sango reached down, rubbing her brother's hair reassuringly, but never taking her eyes off their hated enemy.  
  
Naraku seemed a little dazed, sluggish, unable to coordinate. Yet he still managed a wicked grin. The demon said nothing as he staggered to his feet, lifting his head and leveling his glare on Inuyasha and Kagome.  
  
His eyes widened in shock at seeing Kagome, and his upper lip curled with disgust. His feelings were clear to all: he had killed this woman, and yet there she stood before him. But he said nothing to her; after his vile greeting to Inuyasha he had kept quiet, and it irritated the miko.  
  
Uramiko came to his side. "Attack them. It will do you good to get your strength up until she comes." The gumi frowned slightly at the demon miko's emphasis on "she." Who were they waiting for? Before they had much chance to ponder it either way, the mute Naraku nodded once and turned his smirk on them.  
  
"You think I'll let you get up any strength?!" Kagome demanded, notching an arrow. With a twang! of the bowstring she let the arrow fly, straight towards Naraku's heart. Without even moving, Naraku lifted his hand, his palm centering on Torou, who stood watching halfway across the room.  
  
In the half-seconds it took the arrow to cover the short distance between Kagome's bow and Naraku, the demon had pulled up Torou as a shield. The arrow slammed the young man in the heart and he let out a pained gasp as his body disintegrated. The gumi reeled.  
  
*He may be disoriented, but.. he's still strong… He didn't even move!*  
  
"Dammit," Inuyasha cursed from her side, forcing himself to his feet. Kagome grasped his hand. "Inuyasha?? You can stand?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay," he said, but Kagome could see sweat breaking out on his forehead. She swallowed, standing also and drawing another arrow, preparing to fire. His unspoken meaning was, of course, correct: that they had to fight here and now. But she couldn't help but wonder what was hurting him so. He wasn't really wounded badly, but he looked pale. His skin seemed a softer shade of tan than usual.  
  
"We killed him once before," Sango said, drawing her blade, as Hiraikotsu was still in the wall behind Kagura. "We can do it again."  
  
"By all means, do it," Uramiko said, holding out her hand as if welcoming them to her master. She turned to Naraku and bowed. "Naraku-sama."  
  
He praised her with a glance, still refusing to speak. And the old woman hobbled off the steps, pulling Kagura and Kanna away. As the battle began, Kagura frowned. "Won't he need our help, he doesn't have a soul. How will he be able to fight if he's just a mindless doll?" The demon miko didn't respond for a moment; she was inspecting the table that Naraku had risen from.  
  
After a few seconds, she made a soft noise of delight, plucking something from the table and examining it. It was a tiny crystal shard, left lying in a small heap of the ashes from the burned herbs. Its color was a deep bloody red. Uramiko admired it for a moment, visibly pleased with it.  
  
Kagura narrowed her eyes, annoyed. "Hey, I'm talking to you." This time, Uramiko turned back, looking over the enemies. Inuyasha had charged, leading the attack. Miroku and Sango followed suit, with Kagome taking stance by the kits and firing off arrows.   
  
Naraku had transformed into his youkai state. Slime dripped from pustules and crevices. Tentacles whipped and lashed at his attackers. When cut or damaged they quickly regrew and healed. Uramiko shook her head, her fangs baring with a wide smile. "No. Naraku-sama will be able to kill them very easily. Especially with Inuyasha in such a state."  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha let out a loud battle cry as he rushed forward, bringing Tessaiga down through Naraku's tentacles. The youkai snorted, unimpressed, and swung a large blue tentacle in the hanyou's direction, catching him in the midsection. Inuyasha flew through the air, landing badly across the room.   
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome spared him a quick glance, notching another arrow and firing at Naraku's base. The arrow hit, but with little damage, and it healed quickly. Sparing another second, she looked again to Inuyasha, who hadn't yet recovered. She nudged Kirara. "Please go check on him," and the big cat gave a snort of understanding before bounding over.  
  
The hanyou was unconscious, and Kirara nuzzled his face, licking at the top of his head in an attempt to rouse him. Relief filled her when the hanyou opened his eyes, and she bent down a little, allowing him to clutch at her fur and pull himself up.  
  
Inuyasha cursed softly, leaning heavily against Kirara. "What the hell is the matter with you," Tama demanded, and her brother shook his head. "I don't know," he panted, "My body doesn't work…"  
  
"Well, you'd better fucking make it work. I heard that bitch talking about him; he's like a kugutsu in this form, he doesn't have a soul." At his sister's words, Inuyasha looked up, eyes narrowed. "What?"  
  
Tama nodded. "Uramiko either wasn't able to reincarnate his soul or something of the sort, he doesn't have one. And if he's this strong without it, imagine what he could be with it. And I'm willing to bet that whoever the hell they're waiting on has it." Inuyasha nodded, finally catching his second wind. "Me too," he replied, taking the hand she offered as support.  
  
Kirara also braced him, allowing him to lean on her, and he lifted his eyes, looking Tama in the eyes. There was something he wasn't saying aloud, something he wasn't telling her. The first hint of concern glinted in the eyes that mirrored his own, the eyes that could read him so well. He pushed himself up and away from her piercing gaze, shrugging off her concern and stumbling past her without a word.  
  
Tama stared at where he had been long after he'd gone back to the battle. Her gut had been tugging at her since Uramiko had taken him, telling her something was wrong, more wrong than it seemed. But now it was obvious. One look at Inuyasha and it was clear he wasn't fit for fighting.  
  
But no matter how hard she tried to discern the problem, to seek out what was causing him pain, she wasn't able. She turned back, watching him. He had taken to trying to stay in one spot as long as he could, throwing one Kaze no Kizu after another. When Naraku finally got tired of the thorn in that side, he would lash out and Inuyasha would move. But his movements were limited, and it was clear as daylight to Tama's eyes that he was limiting himself.  
  
*What's wrong… It's there; you just have to see it. Look for it, Tama, you idiot…*  
  
~*~  
  
The uninterrupted sound of thudding feet rang out through the trees, indicating a large beast of burden nearby. Underneath the canopy, broken shadows and filtered sunlight fell on a raven-haired child as she led her demon pet. A pitiful expression have taken over her cute face; she walked with her mouth twisted in a bored grimace.  
  
Ahead of her, her demon companions walked on; one silent, the other… not. Jaken was near driven mad and complaining the entire journey. He had had enough of her-- first talking about butterflies for over three hours and then ruining quite possibly the best story ever (he had told her the story about when Sesshoumaru had fought Inuyasha, and the child kept interrupting to embellish the details, like how beautiful Sesshoumaru-sama was.)   
  
*Rin can't help herself,* the girl considered, *Jaken-sama is too boring.* She looked up at the two, contemplating in her little girl head how all this had worked out. Had this very trek taken place a few months ago, when she and her demon caretakers had first come upon each other, Rin would have stood in awe at how Sesshoumaru-sama could stand to put up with her and Jaken's constant bickering and ceaseless noise-making. But now she was used to his quiet, patient nature. The only things she pondered these days were if he actually listened to them or simply tuned them out.  
  
She sighed again, a short, aggravated sound. "Rin is bored," she announced, "Jaken-sama, let's do tongue twisters now." Without turning around, the toad replied, "Excuse me?" Rin, realizing he was trying to evade her, was undeterred. "Here goes! Sumomo mo momo, momo mo momo, sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi!"  
  
"Sumomo mo momo, momo mo momo, sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi," he replied monotonously. Rin blinked twice, her mouth opening slightly in surprise. "Jaken-sama, you're good at this… Do another one. Uraniwa niwa niwa niwa niwa niwa niwatori ga iru!"  
  
"I'm not doing it again."  
  
"Jaken-sama, you're so boring."  
  
What that, the girl gave up, pouting slightly. Finally she looked up at the white lord who for the most part hadn't said anything. Ever since they had left that woman's side they had been walking, and he had stayed silent. His wounds had healed quickly and although Rin noticed his one arm and a part of his neck still held a ruddy red color of burned skin, Sesshoumaru was otherwise fine.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama, where are we going?" she asked, and Sesshoumaru replied in his usual fashion, not turning to grace her with a glance. "I have business to see to in the country of Musashi."  
  
"We are going to Uramiko's, sir?" Jaken asked, and Sesshoumaru grunted an affirmative. Jaken narrowed his beady eyes. What had Sesshoumaru-sama to do with that deceitful wench? Perhaps his lord had finally decided to simply kill her. She was becoming a nuisance of late, but Sesshoumaru had no grudge against the youkai miko, nor was it in his nature to actively seek out random youkai for pleasure-killing.   
  
Killing them when they crossed his path in a bad mood however was frequent, and Jaken already knew his lord was rather temperamental today. That Genrou creature had irritated him to no end by attacking and eventually wounding him. It was because of the inu-youkai lord's current disposition that the toad-servant also refused to ask why they were seeking out the miko.  
  
*Either way,* the toadie muttered, brushing aside his thoughts. *Good riddance to bad rubbish.*  
  
~*~  
  
Miroku lifted his shakujou defensively, catching one of Naraku's tentacles as it shot towards him, and he swung it down, tearing through the slimy, pulsing flesh. The appendage slithered back, like a wounded animal trying to escape, and Miroku took the opportunity to cast o-fuda his way.  
  
They did little damage, fizzling on the surface of the skin, but Naraku turned his attack towards the houshi. Determined to make some damage while he was distracted, Sango dove in and began hacking away at the main body. Kagome fired three arrows, all of them disintegrating tentacles, but no purification was made to the main body. Naraku simply grinned at her as he swung at Sango, throwing the taijiya girl aside.  
  
Uramiko stood at the altar, gingerly rubbing the crystal shard she had taken from the table. All the while, she watched Inuyasha, who was not only not faring well, but getting worse. His chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, sweat poured off his frame as he pushed his body far too hard. She smirked.  
  
*Only a little more, and…*  
  
His knees buckled.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
Kagome, mind and body focused on the fight, spun when Tama cried out, her eyes wide with apprehension at what she would find. Across the room, Inuyasha lie in a heap, not moving. An icy feeling took her heart like a vice and squeezed. "Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, could you please--"  
  
"Yes, Kagome-sama!"  
  
She nodded her thanks and jogged the length of the room, kneeling next to Inuyasha. Her breath caught in throat when she saw him. His long hair was in black swirls around his pallid face, and his dog ears had shifted to their human form. His hands grasped Tessaiga's hilt loosely, the blade having turned back to its rusted form, and his slender fingers ended with short, very human nails.  
  
*He's.. turned human!* Kagome observed, horrified. *But how…?! The next new moon is at least two weeks away~* She gently shook him. "Inuyasha..??"  
  
Weak brown eyes slid open and Kagome's mouth relaxed from the tight frown she'd been wearing since that moment, what seemed like hours ago now, when Uramiko had appeared and snatched him away from her. Dusky shadows were etched underneath his eyes, as if he'd slept too little, and his eyes were unfocussed. "Kagome.."  
  
"Inuyasha, what's happened to you??"  
  
His head made a short feeble motion that Kagome perceived as a shake, and his voice was quiet. "My youkai powers… started disappearing after.. I turned back into a hanyou." He winced, and his face went slack, falling towards the much desirable tranquility of slumber. "I'm so tired…"  
  
"Inuyasha, you can't go to sleep, we need you!! Try to stay awake!" she coaxed, cupping his face. He was already asleep though, and Kagome didn't need anyone to tell her it was unnatural. His skin held less warmth than usual, less color; his breaths were ragged and strained. Without realizing when, she noticed that Tama, still seated on Kirara, was by her.  
  
"His youryoku is being drained." Kagome looked up at the other hanyou. "How? What's doing this to him?"  
  
"It's probably a spell, considering how we're in the presence of a youkai miko who's well-trained in the dark arts. You know how Naraku was a little disoriented when he first woke up, and slowly he's been gathering power while Inuyasha was crumbling…" Tama glanced towards the fight. "I think that Uramiko bitch has linked them. She's draining Inuyasha and sending it to Naraku."  
  
"That's…"  
  
Tama interjected, "It's the only thing I can think of." Kagome bit her lip, her fingers slowly twisting themselves into Inuyasha's black hair as she quickly contemplated the possibility --and probability-- of that very idea. And the probability that Inuyasha could die if things went on this way. She looked down at him, brushing his hair from his face. Then she bent, pressing a quick kiss onto his forehead.  
  
"I promise I'll be right back," she said aloud to the sleeping human boy. Then she stood, slipping onto Kirara's back in front of Tama. "Kirara, go right over Uramiko!!"  
  
The cat nodded in agreement, taking flight as she did so and charging the priestess. Kagome's fingers tightened on the end of her arrow, and she closed her eyes, swallowing reflexively as she allowed all things in her mind to fall away.  
  
It was more difficult to do than to say she would; between Naraku's return and worrying about Inuyasha, trying to use her miko powers to search out the thing used to link her hanyou and their enemy was like trying to find a needle in a haystack while blindfolded.  
  
In the darkness of her mind, she could see them all. The kits, bright blue lights darting back and forth. Kohaku, a wavering white light, trying to remain brave. Miroku and Sango, two exceptionally bright white stars linked together by red. And Inuyasha, his own light flickering as his life's energy was drained from him.  
  
And then there was Naraku, with his dark energy overflowing the room. He was a black hole, sucking everything in to make up for the lack of soul. That surprised her, that Uramiko had not pulled in the demon's soul.  
  
Uramiko! She saw the witch, her soul colored a bloody red, filled with malice and spite. Looking closer, Kagome finally found what she was looking for. A thin translucent cord, tied between Inuyasha's body and Naraku's. Both strings held in Uramiko's hand, and Kagome's eyes snapped open.  
  
"THERE!"  
  
The arrow flew straight and true, catching the youkai miko off guard and going straight through her palm. She cried out, her hand crumbling like pieces of dried-out bread, the dust that had once been skin and muscle falling to the floor with Kagome's arrow.  
  
The crystal shard she'd held shattered with her hand.  
  
The woman staggered back, still shrieking, pulling her now handless arm up to her chest. Kirara dropped down to the floor again, a few strands of fur getting snicked off as she dodged the wind blades Kagura had thrown in Uramiko's defense.   
  
For a moment the battle seemed to pause as Naraku faltered, his eyes going wide. Then the tentacles dropped to the floor heavily, and his arms sagged at his sides. The drowsy, blank look reappeared and all movements stopped.  
  
Kagome watched as the demon attempted to move, but only a feeble twitch of his hands occurred. Satisfied, the young miko went back to Inuyasha, taking his hand in hers. A relieved smile split her face as his hair returned to its usual silver, and his dog ears sprang up obediently. His eyes opened almost immediately, and the weakness from before was gone.  
  
"Kagome," he wondered, sitting up easily. She squeezed his hand, the smile refusing to go away even though she knew he was okay. He spared his koishii a grin before getting to his feet and glaring in Uramiko's direction. Standing behind Kagura, the witch seethed, fury emanating off her body as if it were a stench.   
  
Inuyasha was even angrier. "You bitch. You shouldn't have fucked around." In a flash of gold light, Tessaiga transformed, and the hanyou's grip on it tightened. Tama grinned at him. "Hey Inuyasha, why don't you use the--"  
  
SLAM!  
  
The doors to the dojo swung open, slamming into the wall for the third time that day. All attention turned on it, and both sides, good and evil, paled at the sight of the person standing in the doorway.   
  
"Ki.. Kikyou," Kagome uttered, and Uramiko's wicked smirk widened. "Kikyou."  
  
~*~ To be continued ~*~  
  
a/n :: lol I love tongue twisters. The twister Rin pulls on Jaken in episode 133-134 is my favorite but I didn't wanna reuse that one. "Akajaken aojaken kijaken" which means "Red Jaken, Blue Jaken, Gold Jaken." Hearing Rin and Jaken go at it is freaking hilarious. (she's so fast, too. I get to "aojaken" and have to slow down or otherwise "kijaken" comes out jijaken or kikaken… Course, that would be why it's called a tongue twister…) I suck at twisters, both in English or Japanese… ^^;;  
  
Sumomo mo momo, momo mo momo, sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi = A Japanese plum is a kind of peach, a peach is also a peach, both Japanese plum and peach are kinds of peaches.  
  
Uraniwa niwa niwa niwa niwa niwa niwatori ga iru = There are two chickens in the back yard and two in the front yard.  
  
OKAY~ You get long chappie, I get reviews, we all be happy! ^_^ …Please?  
  
~*~ V^-^V ~*~   
  
~Tessen 


	44. Sorry! Just an AUTHOR NOTE!

July 23, 2004  
  
With some of the recent reviews I've gotten, I'm going to guess no one checks my profile very often. Just so you know, I update that regularly; it has all my news, updates and blahdy blah blah that you need to know. The 411, on the down low. FYI sorta news.  
  
Anyway, as of June 16, 2004, Inuki and To Be With You Tomorrow are officially put ON HIATUS. I'm entering the Tokyopop manga competition, and will need the next few weeks to work on my submission. So until the end of August, there will be no updates on either story.  
  
I'm sorry it's so sudden; the fact they were doing a contest at all hit me really suddenly and I put everything on hold right then. But rest assured, I am NOT giving up on either story!! I will return with new updates in the end of August or the beginning of September.  
  
So sorry, and please be patient!!  
  
.Kaen. 


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